Pastor Liesha Kerr-Bernard, sister of Roosevelt “Bassy” Kerr, 50, of L’Anse Fourmi, Tobago, who died from injuries he sustained when a Public Transport Service Corporation bus ran off the road yesterday, said she got a “word” from God less than 24 hours before his death.
In an interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Kerr-Bernard, who is a Pentecostal pastor, said when she received the news of her brother's passing yesterday she hurt but was not in shock.
“Early yesterday (Sunday) morning when I got up, I got a word from God for him, so I knew something was going to happen but not this. So when I got the news then I understood everything. I am comforted in the fact that you know, that God giveth and he taketh... God has been of strength and we are holding strong,” Kerr-Bernard told the T&T Guardian.
She said her family was scheduled to meet PTSC officials today and would decide how to move forward thereafter.
Roosevelt Kerr died on arrival at the Scarborough General Hospital after the bus in which he was a passenger went over a precipice near the Bloody Bay Recreation Ground in L’Anse Fourmi around 5 am.
He and Natasha Woods, who also remained warded in a critical condition at hospital last night, were both pinned in the bus and firefighters had to use a hydraulic cutting tool to free them. Kerr suffered injuries to his head and chest while Woods had injuries to her back and fractures to her lower extremities.
Police said bus driver Christopher Diaz lost control of the vehicle and it plummeted approximately 100 foot over the precipice and landed on its side. Diaz who also suffered injuries to his head was also warded at the Scarborough General Hospital in a serious condition.
PRO for the Fire Services in Tobago, David Thomas, said preliminary investigations revealed that the bus' braking system failed.
The other injured passengers were Patrica Corbin (fractured leg); Larry Brassy (injuries to his head chest and back) and Gaston Nedd (head injuries) who also remained hospitalised last night.
Speaking hours after the accident, president of the Tobago Branch of the Transport & Industrial Workers Union (TIWU), Ted Taylor, blamed the PTSC for the accident. He said for years the union had been pleading with the corporation for new buses.
“I have no apologies for saying it. Blame the corporation for the death of that person and compensate the family. We have been lobbying with the corporation to get better buses but they keep on blaming the workers and the drivers.
“The drivers are being forced to drive defective buses day in day out because this is what people is getting paid by but we have been lobbying with the corporation to get proper buses to avoid this happening today and it came to pass, so sad to say,” he said
Taylor said as at October 9, Tobago had a fleet of 18 buses, all of which had long gone past their road worthiness. He said the buses were also unsuitable for Tobago’s terrain and called for an investigation to be launched
“These buses have expired the lifespan of seven years. The corporation keeps trying to refurbish and refurbish these Japanese inferior buses that is not fit for the terrain of Tobago. These buses work right round the clock so of course they are going to deteriorate after a period of time.You could change how much parts, we want some new buses,” Taylor said.
In offering condolences to Kerr’s family yesterday, Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Orville London said it was a sad day for the people of Tobago.
“My condolences go out to the family of the gentleman who lost his life and to those who suffered injuries as a result of this tragedy. It is a sad day for the people of Tobago when even one life is lost in such circumstances.”
The Chief Secretary said a thorough investigation would be conducted into the accident.