Police name road victim
(CNS): Police have now named the man killed in the car crash which occurred Tuesday, 14 October. He was 38-year-old Jonathan Stott Tarboton a Cayman resident from South Africa. Mr Tarboton was killed after the BMW he was driving was in a collision with a flat bed truck on the Esterley Tibbetts highway at around 12:40 pm. (Photo by Tim Dailey)
The cause of the collision is currently under investigation by the Traffic Management Unit, and anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact the traffic office on 946-6254.
According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the 911 Emergency Communication Services received a call at 12.40pm from a member of the public reporting the incident. Police, medics and fire officers responded to the location and found the BMW was engulfed in flames and fire officers extinguished the blaze. Mr Tarboton died at the scene, and the two men in the truck were taken to hospital.
The RCIPS sends its condolences to the family and friends of Mr Tarboton.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling crime stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Category: Local News
RIP JT.
Jonathan was a very good friend of mine. I only hear the news of his death today, almost a month later. He had wonderful friends all over the world, I am in London. I have been devastated by the news, and my prayers go out to his family at this sad time. He was such a wonderful person, and always lived life to the full. May he rest in peace, you will be missed Johnny.
A great many of us in the British Virgin Islands and, no doubt, around the world are also shocked and saddened to lose JT.
Taking unnecessary road risks
My driving instructor drummed into me endlessly the need to drive defensively. I never really understood what he meant at the time but anyone who drives on the roads of Cayman will understand precisely what is meant by driving defensively. We all need to drive defensively especially given that road users in Cayman take higher risks. That means not overtaking on blind corners, or going into bends, or with traffic coming the other way. It means not using the centre lane on West Bay Road as on overtaking lane. It means not jumping traffic lights. It means not overtaking while being distracted with a cellphone. It means not launching yourself into the roundabout when the gap in traffic is clearly too small. Constantly taking these sorts of risks only leads to one place. As much as I hate them, speed cameras and cameras at main junctions coupled with licence points and/or fines would serve as a deterrant to unnecessary risk taking.
A book on economics that I once read had a very good incentive for better driving – every car should have a spear mounted on the dashboard pointing at the driver’s chest. That would certainly ensure better driving!!
Cayman’s roads have becom increasingly more complex, while the drivers have seemingly regressed. In this instance, we need to let the police do their work – and please PLEASE take your actions responsibly too.
Drivers, we have a resonsibility to ourselves and our fellow drivers to obey the rules of the road.
It is going to be hard for some to accept, but here are signs that are out there to protect you and your fellow drivers.
By the museum in town – if you are headed north on South Church Street – it is a NO RIGHT TURN. Sorry – got to go into town and come around. If you get hit breaking this one, I will be first in line to point out your ignorance.
Coming out of the apartments on the bypass, you can only turn left and go north – turning in, from the south you are OK – from the north, you need to go down, around the round about, and come back. Those two minutes too much for you??? Then perhaps you should think of the friends and family that would be spending way more time than that mourning your idiotic actions if you cause a serious accident – and also the lives of those caught up in an melee you cause.
Coming out of Portland Road – God Bless the NRA’s efforts to stop people turning right towards the bypass. BUT, sadly, there will always be ignorant fools who try to beat the system. Trying to bang a u-turn around the island – or worse – going straight trhrough – you are taking your life and those around you, into your hands.
It is the same fools who laugh back when you pointedly remark about their insensitivity as they blazenly park in a handicap parking space and run in for their groceries "cuz mi only gunna be a minit".
Well, a wise person once told me, that the laws are there to protect people from themselves. Be they against speeding, the directions for traffic flow and rules in general, they not there for most people. They are there to protect the ignorant and selfish from themselves and the damage they would do on others.
Let’s face it – ANY intelligent person knows most of the rules of the road (they are generally common sense!!!) – but for those that cannot grasp them, you have to write them down, put pretty arrows on signs and generally point out the accepted and sensible way to proceed. Generally, the laws of he land are written to protect the ignorant from themselves.
So, before you jump behind the wheel tonight "because I am OK after one drink" and before you accelerate at that red light, "because I don’t have 45 seconds to wait", before you ride the guy in front of you’s butt so closely he has a problem differeciating you from and hemmeroid, PLEASE think of those you might take with you in an accident, or worse, will leave behind, who care for you..
You may not care about yourself, and when you are gone, who cares, right? Tell that to the mother, father, son, daughter or sibling you leave behind. Stop driving like idiots – there are veryfew times I can thnnk of that jeopardising my life and the lives of those around me are justified by insane driving.
Yesterday’s accident is trully a tragedy. Eventually, when the rumors die down and he facts emerge, we will have a better understanding of what happened. For now, there are friends and family grienving a very painful loss. Now is not the time to point blame or make assuptions about what happened.
NOW is the time to look at ourselves and address our own abilities.
I agree with people not passing, but at the same time people need to drive at the proper speed of 40mph!!
If you don’ t feel safe driving your car at this speed you shouldn’t be driving!!
That is a main reason people overtake other vehicles!! Maybe they should make it harder to get a license?
Drive Safe!
It is very sad that people who were not at the scene of this tragic freak accident are taking the time to fabricate wild fantastic rumors in regards to what actually took place.
It is also very sad that the police are asking people to contact them with information at 946-6254 but when you do try to make contact the telephone rings without answer and there is no voice mail to leave contact information. I am still waiting to speak to an officer formally.
I am a witness to the horrific tragedy. I was behind the Isuzu truck when the BMW crossed the road and collided with the truck. In my opinion no one was at fault there was no excessive speeding nor was anyone overtaking anyone else. The BMW exited the round about and was heading in the direction ofWest Bay
I am not an accident scene investigator nor am I an expert on these matters but in my opinion the trenches cut across the section of road heading to West bay when you exit that round about could be a contributing factor in this tragedy. If you hit the trenches at more than 25 MPH it could cause damage to the steering linkages to a car and cause it to be uncontrollable.
A tragic and unnecessary loss of another life.Another family, friends and colleagues who are left with heartbreak. Cayman residents and visitors : Please be mindful of your surroundings, stop talking on your cell phone while driving, keep safe distances and if you’re running late then just be late for goodness sake!! We are all guilty of these things at one time or another. Life is so short, there is no need to speed up the process.
My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the poor man who died yesterday. I, myself drive on that same road many times during the week and am now afraid to do so. This is a note to all drivers out there: please slow down and be more considerate. I am usually travelling with my 2 children and hate it when my bumper is being tailed so closely by an impatient, inconsiderate driver. The "baby on board" signs don’t work!
Take your time on the roads and stay safe!
I can’t believe he is gone and to think of it, it was two weeks ago that a few of us had drinks with him after they won the indoor football game.
Time to start work on the median even if they are not ready to make this a four lane road yet. The median will prevent anyone from having the opportunity to overtake and also stopthe illegal and extremely dangerous turns that are being made in and out of the apartment complex for the sake of saving about a minute of peoples day.
Let us all think and pray for the victim’s family at this terribble time.
N0 matter what, let us pray for the families involed.
May God bless us all