RESIDENTS of Caparo in Central Trinidad are urgently calling for the Santa Phillipa bridge and the roadway to be repaired after a man died in a fatal accident on Saturday morning.They now fear that if the infrastructure goes unfixed, it may pose danger to other drivers.Speaking to the Express yesterday, one resident, who asked to go unnamed, said while Saturday’s accident was not the first caused by the deteriorated roadway at the Santa Phillipa bridge, located along the Caparo Valley Brasso Road, it was the first fatal incident.Two weeks ago, she reported a resident’s car was “written off” after the driver crashed while attempting to swerve from hitting a pothole. The pothole, she claimed, was caused by works conducted by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) two weeks ago. Since then, she said the Authority did not repair the roadway.Opposite the pothole, she said, was an uncovered manhole, which had been barricaded with wood and caution tape to prevent pedestrians from falling in.The resident said that she believes that 42-year-old Jason Ramnanan, who was driving a panel van, collided into a truck on Saturday morning near the Santa Phillipa bridge, as he swerved to avoid crashing into the manhole, causing him to drive onto the path of an oncoming truck.“That hole caused that boy to dead. Fix that hole and fix the bridge. They have to do something now,” she said.These obstacles also added to the deplorable condition of the bridge, she added.“That bridge is one-lane with no barrier. It is a narrow road. It is a danger to drivers,” she continued.Another resident also shared the belief that the ‘bad road’ had led to Saturday’s fatal accident.“People say the truck was coming up and he (Ramnanan) was going down. They say he (Ramnanan) pull from the manhole, and the truck pulled from the hole on the other side,” he added.Ramnanan, a father of one, died at the scene.“The truck and panel van mash up bad. He (Ramnanan) was pinned behind the wheel. Nobody could pull him out. He died before fire services reached up there,” the first resident said.Ramnanan, who lived in Lange Park, Chaguanas, was married three weeks ago. At the time of the incident, he was returning home after visiting relatives in Caparo.The Express visited Ramnanan’s family at their Lange Park home yesterday. Relatives described him as a popular and loving person. They reported Ramnanan was a self-employed business owner and sales representative. They declined to comment further.Padarath: Restorationworks to beginPublic Utilities Minister Barry Padarath yesterday told the Express he spoke to WASA officials and was informed that video evidence suggests that Ramnanan’s vehicle passed the area of works conducted by the Authority.He said the collision seemed to be as a result of both vehicles attempting to cross the bridge at the same time. He added that he was awaiting a final police report on the matter.However, he indicated that WASA will begin restoration works at the site next week.Three weekend deathsRamanan’s death was of three road fatalities for the weekend. On Friday, an unidentified man, believed to be homeless, was struck by a vehicle at around 9.40 p.m., as he attempted to cross the Uriah Butler Highway near the Munroe Road flyover. Around 12 hours later, Ramnanan was killed in the Santa Phillipa Bridge accident.In the third incident, a Moruga teenager was killed when the vehicle in which he was a passenger, crashed into a utility pole on Sunday morning.The incident occurred along Edward Trace, Basse Terre, Moruga, at 3 a.m. The teenager died at the scene.Coordinator of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Strategic Road Safety Project Sgt Brent Batson told the Express yesterday that high-risk behaviours on the roadways have contributed to an increased incidence of fatalities.In a telephone interview, he said the three incidents highlighted the risks and responsibilities involved in using a motor vehicle. He asserted that while, in the first incident, a pedestrian lost his life, the situation also affected the driver.“I always remind persons that drivers are also traumatised by these incidents. Some persons can’t even drive for the rest of their life because of that type of psychological trauma involved. So, they’re really two victims in these scenarios,” he explained.In the fatal road traffic accident on Saturday, he said initial information suggests that ‘somebody rushed’.“This goes to show the consequence, especially when extra heavy vehicles are involved, you’re talking about a mass of steel that the driver of a car cannot survive an impact against that type of vehicle; the risk isn’t worth it,” he said.“It’s much better to just slow down, give way, and communicate to drivers, not just by flashing your lights and speeding up. That’s why approaching these scenarios with more caution is critical to ensure that everybody reaches their journey safely,” he continued.He said that despite the police doing their best from a public safety standpoint to enforce and educate drivers, many drivers did not heed this call.“Drivers have to also engage with a higher level of caution, especially when using the roadways,” he added.He noted that despite increased enforcement and education, the incidence of fatal road traffic accidents had increased by 20% for the same period from last year.“Persons sometimes view, unfortunately, when the police are outside doing their job, as not focusing on crime. Until these incidents come and knock on their door home, they don’t realise the importance of us out there trying to curtail these risks. Whether it’s through giving persons tickets for cell phone use, or persons not even wearing their seatbelts,” he continued.He urged drivers to practise caution during the wet season.“We’re going into the heart of the rainy season. Drivers need to be very, very responsible with regards to their road use,” he said.This, he added, included ensuring their vehicles were in safe, working order.“That involves your brakes, your tyres, your windscreen wipers, your headlights, and of course being more alert and leaving more following distance behind traffic,” he said.