A community is in mourning, following a horrific three-vehicle collision in Vieux Fort on October 25.
Rikki Samuel, a kindergarten student at the Banse La Grace RC Combined School, died following a crash along the Vieux Fort-Laborie Highway, near the Hewanorra International Airport and the Marine Base (Il Pirata), sometime before 11:00 a.m.
Samuel was born in 2020, on Christmas Eve. His mother, Alister Antoine, described him to St. Lucia Times as “a fun-loving little boy. He loved cars, loved vehicles.”
The boy left home with his father, Jonard Samuel, a taxi driver, to get fuel. One of several videos from the scene showed the child on the ground, after apparently being thrown from the vehicle.
As of publication, Samuel is the only confirmed death following the incident in which 11 people were injured. Rikki is survived by his parents, and a nine-year-old sister.
The collision involved three minibuses. Aside from Samuel’s taxi, at least one of those involved was a public bus with a route band. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and Saint Lucia Fire Service were present on the scene after the crash, but no official statement has been made at this time.
This latest road fatality has led to spirited discussion on social media, with several calling for drivers to exercise greater caution, and others asking for regulatory reform to more harshly punish dangerous driving.
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