AN off-duty special reserve police officer was killed on Sunday when his vehicle crashed into a wall in the division where he was stationed.Police Constable Seon Gaskill, 33, who was attached to the Siparia Police Station, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision.The fatal incident occurred around 5.40 p.m. when Gaskill was driving his white Toyota Hilux along Siparia Oropouche Road.Officers were told that, after rounding a bend in the road, Gaskill lost control of his vehicle, which struck a brown NP 300, then crashed into a wall in an empty lot.Police officers and emergency medical technicians responded, but the officer died at the scene.
DIED AT SCENE: Seon Gaskill
News of his death prompted an outpouring of condolences online, with colleagues, friends and members of the public paying tribute to him and extending sympathy to his family.Several people expressed shock and sadness over his sudden death.“My real soldier boi, rip king,” wrote one social media user, while another said, “Rest in Paradise Gaskill, hard one.”When the Express visited the fatal crash scene yesterday, residents said the road was not known for many collisions, but said it was often busy as it was a main thoroughfare through the community of Siparia.Resident Kazim Abdul, whose wall was struck by Gaskill’s vehicle, said he had just returned home when he heard the crash.“I heard this loud noise outside and I ran out of the house. I saw the van against the wall, and the wall was broken. The guy was lying on the ground next to the vehicle. It looked like part of his body was beneath the van. He was motionless. The van was a wreck,” said Abdul.“This area does not have a lot of accidents, but a while ago someone ran off the road coming around the same bend. Some years ago, another vehicle ran into my wall. I can’t say if the authorities can do anything more for road safety. It is a major road and possibly people have to take their time when negotiating the bend. We have to be careful on the nations roads,” said Abdul.Gaskill’s vehicle was towed to the Siparia Police Station and officers are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash.Contacted for comment yesterday, police road safety coordinator, Sgt Brent Batson, said: “So far this year, we have 55 road traffic deaths compared to 70 for the same period last year. It’s a 27%. Even though the deaths are trending in the right direction, we are seeing a level of risk-taking that could quickly reverse this trend.”High-risk accidentsBatson said the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has noted there were three recent road traffic deaths. “We extend our condolences.” He said what is interesting with the trend is that it’s occurring on non-highway roads. “Rivulet Road (Pt Lisas) where a driver lost control. A police officer was involved in an accident on the Eastern Main Road. A person who succumbed to injury that occurred along the Southern Main Road.“We are seeing a lot of high risk accidents. A vehicle ended up on a pole. We are seeing high risk crashes on low speed roads, such as main roads, with speed limits (50 kph). We are engaging in a reckless type of behaviour,” Batson stated.He also stressed on the importance of obeying road traffic and highway regulations because “you can’t control what other roads users are going to do.“Speed will make a difference if you can stop the car or if you are going to loss control, and have an unplanned event on the roadway. It could lead to death or injury,” said Batson.—with reporting by Michelle Loubon
