Traffic Accident on Hummingbird Highway Leaves Multiple Casualties
Four men were killed in a traffic accident on Saturday night and five others sustained varying degrees of injury when the pick-up truck they were traveling in overturned shortly after eight on a curve near mile twenty-eight on the Hummingbird Highway. Of the six men traveling in the cab of the pick-up, three perished, while another of three who sat in the pan also lost his life. The men were part of a work crew that was returning from doing infrastructural work in Dangriga. The contractor, Sherwin Garbutt, who was also driving, along with Timothy Neal, Delwyn Armstrong and Edwin Brown succumbed to his injuries. News Five’s Marion Ali went west to gather the details and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The mangled remains of a gray Chevy Silverado pick-up truck near mile twenty-eight on the Hummingbird Highway mark the location where four workmen died on Saturday night when the vehicle careened off the road and flipped multiple times. Six of them sat in the cab and only three survived. Darren Gilharry was one of them.
Darren Gilharry
Darren Gilharry, Survivor
“Wi lef from weh part we mi di work down Stann Creek side and when we di come in around, I nuh really familiar with the curve, when wi di come fi tek, ih end up lose control. Wi swerve lee bit and wi start to flip. And when wi flip, I nuh know how much times wi flip, when I conscious ih drop back pahn ih wheel. I jump out, move a guy foot weh mi hook up pahn the side and I get my bag and when I look, I see all the rest ah guys pahn the pavement and I try look fi the other guys and can’t find dehn til afta wa lee while.”
Gilharry is grateful that he was one of the men to walk away with minor injuries.
Darren Gilharry
“I neva experience something like this. I nuh wah experience it again.”
Marion Ali
The fact that you lost your employer means you’re now out of a job too, right?
Darren Gilharry
“Yeah, well wi have to move on from ya and see weh wa happen.”
Eighteen-year-old Armando Diaz was in the area and was the first responder.
Voice of: Armando Diaz
Voice of: Armando Diaz, First Responder
“I was at my cousin house and we heard the car roll down, flip, so I ran to see what happened, and I saw like several guys like three of them in the middle of the road, and three in the bush.”
Marion Ali
“What did you do?”
Voice of: Armando Diaz
“Well I ran to cut some bush and cut some bush and put it in the middle of the road so that cars could know that there’s an accident so they could slow down. “
Delwin Armstrong
Althea Armstrong lost her older brother, fifty-one-year-old Delwin Armstrong, also known as Pompi.
Althea Armstrong
Althea Armstrong, Relative of Deceased
“I never expected my brother would have died that way. Delwin was a very loving, caring, hard-working young man. Me and he had a bond. We were very close. We had each other’s back. Anything you wanted done at your home, Pompi is right there. Every weekend yoh wa see Pompi put on ih music. Nuh worry, BBQ deh behind and da like there’s no more Pompi anymore fi say mi lee black sista I deh ya fi yoh. Now he’s gone.”
Armstrong was also related to Sherwin Garbutt, the contractor who was driving the pick-up.
Shwerin Garbutt
Althea Armstrong
“Sherwin came and said Thursday night, nuh worry, I wa be at your house Saturday night. We wa play dominoes. I tell ah sure. Ih say but ah wa reach bout afta 7. Soh we deh ya di wait, wait, we di play dominoes, we di wait, wait, no Sherwin, no Delwin come. How when ah get the bad news that a traffic accident happen and it was Sherwin. I started to cry and break down.”
Timothy Reyes
Vornie Neal’s eldest son, Timothy Reyes died in the accident and her grandson, Nabeel Reyes – Timothy’s son – also lies critically injured as a result of the mishap. Aside from the concern of his fate, she must also prepare to bury her son this week.
Vornie Neal
Vornie Neal, Mother of Timothy Reyes
“Dehn find Timothy and ih son. Only last week I send ah gone buy a gallon ah water. Afterwards ih pass tru ya and ih say ma when ih pass. And ih just goh pass, ih nuh really stay cause ih busy goh work and soh wen people send ah out. Da wa working person; ih nuh lazy. Wi di try do wa lee preparing now fi do the wake Thursday and try bury ah Friday.”
Marion Ali for News Five.
