By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE COUNTRY’S traffic fatality count now stands at nine after two men were killed in a traffic accident in Acklins early yesterday.

It happened around 10am in Hard Hill, Acklins.

According to reports, the men were travelling on Queens Highway, heading from Snug Corner to Pinefields, when one of the tyres on the vehicle blew, causing the car to flip over several times before coming to rest on its roof in nearby bushes. 

Both the driver and the passenger were ejected from the vehicle – a 2008 Scion vehicle.

The driver died on the scene and the passenger died of his injuries in a local clinic a short time later.

Police have not yet identified the victims, but The Tribune understands they are 28-year-old Alfred Emmanuel and 34-year-old Micheal McDonald.

A source close to the family, who did not wish to be identified, said Alfred was “a funny man” who was always the “life of the party.”

“He was headed to work, travelling from one settlement to another, when the accident happened. He did not have any children of his own, but he married a woman with five children and took care of them like his own. He owned a tyre shop and everyone liked him. He will be truly missed. They saying his tyre blew, but I believe it was the road as well,” the source said.

“The government claims they fixed the road, but it is still uneven and bumpy and hilly. I am sure that had something to do with it.”

On a talk show, Member of Parliament for the area, V Alfred Gray said the roads in Acklins still need a lot of work. However he said he is sure the roads had been repaired in the area that the accident happened.

These latest traffic fatalities come one week after three men were killed in three separate traffic accidents in Eleuthera. Four persons were killed in accidents in the Family Islands earlier this year.

Officer in charge of the traffic division, Assistant Superintendent Craig Stubbs, said traffic accidents are rare in the Family Islands. He is urging residents and visitors to slow down.

“Those who are visiting and do not know these areas will need to slow down and drive with caution. Even those who live on these islands need to slow down, getting to your destination is more important than getting there quickly,” he said.

Supt Stubbs said police are unsure, at this time, if speed was a factor in these latest fatalities. Investigations continue.