TWO people were killed in separate road traffic accidents in Cocorite and Valencia yesterday morning.One of the victims has been identified as Transport Officer Keone Brathwaite.The second victim had yet to be positively identified up to late yesterday.The first incident took place before 6 a.m. along the Audrey Jeffers Highway in the vicinity of Peakes Trading Home Store.
Crash site: The Honda Vezel which transport officer Keone Brathwaite, came into contact with along the “Valencia Stretch” of the Eastern Main Road yesterday.
Police said the accident involved a motorcycle; however, details surrounding the circumstances were still forthcoming. Officers only confirmed that one man had died in a road traffic accident along the westbound lane of the highway.
Transport Officer Keone Brathwaite was proceeding on his motorcycle along the roadway when he came into contact with a Honda Vezel along the “Valencia Stretch” of the Eastern Main Road yesterday
The second incident occurred at about 7.13 a.m. along the “Valencia Stretch” of the Eastern Main Road.Police said Brathwaite was proceeding along the roadway when he came into contact with a Honda Vezel. Investigators were told the SUV had been overtaking at the time of the collision.Police said CCTV footage of the incident had been obtained as investigations continued.In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation expressed condolences on Brathwaite’s passing.Transport Minister Eli Zakour, along with the executive and staff of the ministry, said Brathwaite had served with dedication, professionalism and commitment to the development and efficiency of the transport sector.The ministry stated that his contribution to public service would be remembered by those who worked with him.It also extended sympathy to his family, friends and colleagues and said the ministry honoured Brathwaite’s memory with gratitude and respect for his service.Last week, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro was asked whether stiffer penalties were needed to address road recklessness following four deaths reported between May 8 and May 10 as a result of road traffic accidents.Guevarro, speaking after the launch of 20 new lidar speed enforcement devices along the Audrey Jeffers Highway on May 12, responded by saying “double the fines”.He noted that despite a significant reduction in fatal and serious road traffic accidents this year, the level of road fatalities remained unacceptable.“You see how much road carnage going on?” Guevarro said. “We actually are progressing in the right direction—42% less than last year and 51% less for serious RTAs—but it is still too much.”He said prior to the deadly weekend crashes earlier this month, the country had been on track to record an even greater reduction in road fatalities.“Just imagine if this weekend had not happened? We would have been 50%,” Guevarro said then.Since January, several initiatives have been launched to treat with reckless driving on the nation’s roadways.The first initiative was the implemented amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, which saw the cost of approximately 85% of all fixed penalty traffic violations being doubled.The changes were enacted through Legal Notice No. 471 on December 25, 2025, and came into effect on January 1, 2026.The TTPS also recently introduced 20 lidar speed enforcement devices capable of detecting speeding vehicles, capturing licence plate images and conducting operations during both daytime and night-time hours.Police said the devices could also be operated from inside police vehicles, reducing the visibility of enforcement exercises to motorists.Guevarro also warned motorists against fleeing accident scenes, urging drivers involved in collisions to remain and assist injured persons.“I want them to think about their own families, and then put themselves in the shoes of the individual, the victim, who is now lying on the ground,” he said. “Would you want someone to just drive off after such an incident?”He said the first few minutes after an accident could determine whether an injured person survived.“That important couple of minutes where you could have called an ambulance or even taken a person for medical treatment may have saved their lives,” Guevarro said.
