By NALINEE SEELAL Monday, July 9 2012

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KILLED: LYston Whitehead...

A 37-YEAR-OLD security guard with Strike Force Services was killed while attempting to cross the Beetham Highway from south to north near Bhagwansingh’s Hardware shortly after 7.30 pm on Saturday.

Lyston Whitehead was reportedly struck by the driver of a car who never stopped and as his body lay on the highway another motorist’s vehicle ran over him. That driver also failed to stop.

However, other motorists who witnessed the incident slowed down and contacted officers of the Besson Street Police Station, who quickly went to the scene along with a District Medical Officer and the dismembered body was ordered removed to the Port-of-Spain mortuary.

According to reports, the incident caused a massive traffic pile-up, as scores of motorists slowed down to catch a glimpse of the body on the highway. According to reports, Whitehead, a corporal who had been employed at Strike Force based at the National Fisheries Compound at Sea Lots for the past eight years left his workplace shortly after 7 pm, telling co-workers that he was leaving for home.

According to relatives, Whitehead usually crossed from south to north to get to the other side of the Beetham Highway to secure transport to take him to his destination, and he had been doing this for the past seven years.

Yesterday his father, Donald Whitehead, of Haig Street, Carenage, told Newsday his son and others had been clamouring for an overpass to be built, especially for persons employed in the Sea Lots area, but nothing was ever done to help this materialise.

He said on a daily basis other employees who work in the Sea Lots area risk life and limb by crossing the busy Beetham Highway, and he feels his son’s life could have been spared if the authorities had taken note of their concerns and erected an overpass for them.

He said that the last time he saw his son alive was at about 7 am on Saturday when he left home telling everyone that he was going to work.

“My son was such a pleasant, hardworking, and honest person, and I still cannot believe that he has been snatched away from us in such horrible circumstances, but I treasure all the years I spent with him.”

A clearly emotional Donald said his son also contributed to running the house, and was extremely close to his other four siblings. “His death has shaken us up terribly, but we are trying to cope at this time,” he said.

Yesterday Chief Executive Officer of Strike Force Security, Tommy Saroda said he had previously held discussions with other members of the business community in the Sea Lots area, hoping to convince them to pool together resources to approach Government in assisting in having an overpass erected, but nothing came out of it.

He said that the management of Strike Force was having discussions with relatives of Whitehead, and will be assisting with funeral arrangements and compensation. He said, “Whitehead was an extremely devoted officer who will be sadly missed, and his colleagues have also taken his death badly, but I am hoping that good sense will prevail and the driver who knocked down and killed Whitehead will come forward and surrender to the police.” Officers of the Besson Street Police Station are continuing enquiries. The death of Whitehead brought the road fatality to 98 for the year.