Major collision halts traffic
(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is asking drivers to avoid the Esterley Tibbetts Highway in George Town due to a serious and reportedly fatal collision involving two vehicles which is still being addressed. The road is currently closed in both directions. Drivers should take alternative routes. CNS will post more details as they are received. (Photo by Timothy Dailey).
Category: Local News
Truly, the ignorance and stupidity of some of the comments so soon after this tragedy SHOCK and APPAL me, although why I am even surprised in itself is surprising, as I have come used to expect this kind of IGNORANCE.
This is a small island and a small community, unfortunately filled with some seriously small minded people. Cayman News Service is distributed into inboxes of people across our island and do you moralistic, stupid and sanctimonious people not think for a second that this could be read by someone who at the moment is grieving, no matter who may or may NOT be at fault – if anyone at all! – there are people out there right now that are hurting, there were people out there at the time of your posts that didn’t realise they had lost a loved one, a colleague, a friend. Opinions are a human right, but for God’s sake have some respect for your fellow man and keep them to yourself if they’re so ignorant and hurtful. I’m disgusted.
My second point to make is on the contentious issue of overtaking on the highway – which I post in no way in relation or as a comment on yesterday’s tragedy, just as my personal observation. There are many drivers in Cayman who I seriously feel should never be let behind the wheel of a car. And far from it being because of reckless speeding or overtaking, it’s actually because of their over-cautious or inattentive and as such also dangerous road habits. To lay the fault of Cayman road fatalities on speed or overtaking is to overlook the many many MANY drivers on Grand Cayman who insist on driving dangerously below the speed limit (yes, it IS dangerous, anyone who learnt with a reputable driving school and a reputable instructor will tell you that). Personally, I can’t say I haven’t considered overtaking when someone on the highway where the speed limit is 40 chooses to drive like an idiot at 25 OR LOWER, which I have seen more times than I care to count. Added to that the inability to indicate many drivers seem to have, or manouvering contrary to their indication, talking on phones, eating, stopping to chat to friends on the pavement (or friends in the opposite lane of traffic!)… I could go on.
There is no such thing as a perfect driver. And to blame these tragedies on one thing (and ignorantly so might I again add) when you yourself have probably committed any of the other driving cardinal sins is narrow minded to say the least. But the problems on Cayman’s roads is a sum of all these parts, which must be addressed in its entirety.
My thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased.
The talk of fault seems trifling at this particular time, while so many who knew him still sit with wet eyes… I prefer to think of other things:
Why is there an assumption that anyone was overtaking? If someone wants to drive slow then don’t use a highway use the old road don’t drive slow and obstruct traffic.
Some drivers don’t get it that u have to wait sumtimes. Cayman isn’t the same as b4. Caymanians and other residents here are not goin to take it seriously UNTIL sumtin realy bad happens to get their attention.If it means sum1has to lose dey life to show wat not ta do ,so be it.
Overtaking is NOT the only conclusion that one can come to from taking a look at the scene of the accident. The roads were wet the driver could have lost control and slid into the other lane. I believe the cause of the accident is UNKOWN at this time.
Think for a minute – maybe you wouldnt come across as being disrespectful to someone who just lost their life. Dont assume stupidity – some compassion would be decent.
POLICE BABY SITTER NEEDED
Some of you people are ridiculous, it is not the job of the police to BABY SIT drivers to ensure they comply with the law. People complain that the police aren’t doing enough when it comes to investigating murders but expect then to sit on this stretch of road to make sure drivers don’t overtake. It’s sad that this happened, and my condolences got out to his family, but don’t blame the police, because I know its coming
Government don’t seem to get it, they need harsher penalties for road traffic offences. $25 traffic tickets, $100 speeding tickets, what a joke. GET REAL! but hey this is Cayman, we have to do things our way and let something BAD happened before anything changes.
SLOW DOWN PEOPLE
Why not execrise due care when overtaking rather than being told to act like irresponsible drivers and hold up traffic because you are too scared to drive at aboutthe posted speed limit. This suggestion not to overtake needs to be countered by a campaign not to obstruct the flow of traffic.
Any way where does the suggestion that either vehicle was overtaking anything?
Let sanity prevail not hysteria!
The issue of blame will obviously be uppermost in the minds of the public. That will be a matter for police investigation and most likely coroners inquest as it would appear that the drivers of both vehicles have tragically lost thier lives. My sympathies go out to their families and loved ones.
The number of fatal and potentiallyfatal accidents along this stretch of road is well known. Drivers will continue to overtake on the by-pass because they can, in spite of the incidence of accidents and the high profile given to such accidents when they occur. It should come as no surprise that they keep occuring. Until the by-pass is widened to two lanes in each direction, with a central reservation or crash barrier installed along the divide, head on collisions will continue to occur. It would be interesting to see if this issue was addressed in the feasability study conducted when planning the by-pass, whether there were plans for a four lane highway with central separation of traffic, and most pertinently whether these plans were rejected by the government of the day as being too expensive or not cost effective.
How many innocent lives have to be lost in order for people to get it…."FOR HEAVENS SAKE DO NOT OVER TAKE". PEOPLE PLEASE DRIVE RESPONSIBLY.
Remember, sorry can not mend a LOST LIFE!
Just …GET… IT…RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND
How about placing a real police person on the site every now and then? How about implementing a point deduction system for people caught overtaking (a proactive measure). AND of course we would need cameras on the by-pass. AND how about taking the licences of such reckless drivers away forever when they kill with their irresponsible driving?
Why should I recommend Cayman to anyone as a place to visit with the risk of death from drive on these islands being so great?
Having seen the scene of the crash, the only conclusion anyone can come to is that the driver of the BMW was overtaking on a bend in the road.
This is pure stupidity and has ultimately cost the man his life. We can only be grateful that other law abiding drivers did not suffer the same fate.
The only stupidity this evening is with the poster of this contemptuous comment.
Tonight a family is mourning a tragic loss, whilst the victim is lambasted as "stupid" and not "law abiding".
Speculation on the cause is not only premature, but in this case, offensive to the victim and his family.
What if he suffered a blowout? A heart attack? Or swerved to avoid the idiots who cycle towards oncoming traffic on the same side?
Just for once in your life, try thinking before you post. This man has a family and friends who don’t need to hear your worthless offensive opinion at a tragic time like this.
I agree!! Well said. Insensitivity, and a lack of sympathy, for the victim and his family is seemingly the mode of the day.
It is really disturbing to hear the lack of "heart" in these comments.
You are a complete fool, and a callous bastard. The conclusion you have leapt to belies so many other obvious possibilities.
Fortunately for the victim of this crash, who others say was in fact parked and was pushed into traffic from behind, small-brained morons like you are not responsible for adjudicating liability in motor traffic accidents. It is fortunate for us all that your knuckle dragging judgmental pea-brain is at least competent enough to understand that overtaking on this highway does lead to deaths.
Now, perhaps you will get back to concentrating on your driving and leave others to grieve the loss of this excellent person.
Being an eyewitness to this crash I can say that no one was overtaking anyone else. I do not know what happend but there was no speeding nor overtaking before the collisoin. I was right behind the Isuzu truck and suffered damage to my car from the flying glass and debris. On such a small Island we should take care in what we say when we are not privy to the facts inorder that we do not cause a panic or vilify the victim who is no longer here to defend himself. Let us just take a moment to show some compassion for his famly for their loss.
I am scared to death driving home from work on the bypass and never see the police along that stretch of road when everyone tries to overtake. Is someones life worth having an offcier at that location 24/7. the answer is yes.
This is like the 3rd death on that bypass and it will soon be lined with flowers remembering the lives lost if something is not done. The police sign that tells you how fast you are going cannot react to a drive breaking the law.
Cayman is getting scary
For Heaven’s Sake Don’t Overtake!