Olympic sprinter survives smash-upBy WALTER ALIBEY and ANNA-ROSE MADRAY Friday, January 2 2009
ACE TRINIDAD and Tobago sprinter Richard Thompson got possibly the worst start to 2009 when he and Monique Cabral, also a sprinter, got injured in a two car smash-up at the corner of Picton and Marli Streets, Port-of-Spain, at about 4.30 am yesterday.
They were returning from the popular Club 51 Degrees on Cipriani Boulevard where they attended an Old Year’s night party.
Thompson who was driving his white Nissan Cifero across Picton Street collided with a silver Toyota Rav 4 driven by Kenrick Vialva.
Vialva was proceeding west on Marli Street. Police investigators said Thompson complained of pains to his neck and knees at the scene of the accident, while Cabral sustained injuries to the left side of her neck, as well as her right leg. They were taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Vialva, meantime, was treated for minor injuries and later discharged from the St Clair Medical Centre.
CT scans, X-rays and tests done on Thompson at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital revealed the sprinter’s injuries were minor and he sustained bruises and whiplash.
Cabral also underwent a series of CT scans and X-rays and had bruised a rib and experienced whiplash as well. Her parents Gail and Alan Cabral told Newsday at the hospital that she was in a stable condition.
Thompson’s older brother Ruthven Thompson Jr, in a phone interview a few hours after the accident, told Newsday that the 24-year-old Olympic silver medallist was in a satisfactory condition.
“He is now recuperating at the medical institution. That is all he needs to do right now, just rest,” said Thompson Jr. Their father Ruthven Thompson Sr, who spoke with Newsday outside ward 24 during the 12.30 pm visiting hours, also said the accident was not life threatening and the star athlete had no serious injuries.
“I feel sad of the fact that it happened, but I am thankful to God that he is in one piece and that the injury was not life threatening,” said Thompson Sr.
However, a family source said there were concerns about the impact Thompson’s injuries would have on the start of his preparations for the 2009 track season.
Thompson is expected to line up at the Caribbean Games, to be staged in Trinidad and Tobago, against the world’s top sprinter Jamaican Usain Bolt and other top regional athletes in July.
Minister of Health Jerry Narace and Minister of Sport Gary Hunt visited Thompson at about 1.15 pm yesterday, however media personnel who were invited by the Government Information Services to cover the visit were barred entry by popular bouncer Kevin Da Costa, who was hired by the Thompson family.
Several reporters objected as Narace and Hunt went inside. When Narace returned he advised the media that Thompson’s family did not want any reporters on the ward.
“We are acting on instructions at this time. The parents have indicated that they would not wish for them to go into the ward. It is the instructions of the family and we are respecting that,” said Narace.
Narace also prevented reporters from asking his father whether Thompson was drinking at the time of the accident and for details of his injuries.
“I came here to ensure that our hero is getting the best possible attention. I don’t want us to get into any more specifics, we must respect the athlete and the parents,” Narace told reporters.
Contacted after his visit, Narace told Newsday that hiring the private security was the family’s decision and said the media should not have been allowed to be present at the ward in the first place.
“All I know is that a number of precautions were taken to ensure that the family’s wishes were respected,” he said. But this contradicts several calls made to Newsday by government communications personnel to ensure a news team was at the hospital for the ministers’ visit.
Da Costa told Newsday he had been hired by the family after Thompson requested that no photographs be taken of him in the hospital. After Thompson returned from the Olympics in August, Da Costa said the Sports Ministry hired him to be the athlete’s bodyguard and this led Thompson’s family to request his services yesterday.
Thompson’s uncle and manager Ronald Clarke said he was not aware if any prior arrangements had been made with the North West Regional Health Authority to allow Da Costa to provide private security for Thompson at the public hospital. The hospital has its own security provided by the National Maintenance, Training and Security Co Ltd.
“It’s Richard Thompson, he is no ordinary citizen. Richard will speak when he needs to,” said Clarke.
Yesterday National Amateur Athletic Association public relations officer Peter Samuel was quick to dismiss radio reports that Thompson was critical after the accident.
“We had the NAAA’s doctors Terrance Ali and Anil Gopeesingh at the medical institution yesterday monitoring Thompson’s situation,” said Samuels.
Caroline Ravello, media and communication’s consultant for Thompson’s management team, confirmed the sprinter will be kept at the hospital for observation for the next 24 hours. Speaking on behalf of Thompson, she said he wanted the public to know that the injuries are not life threatening.
She assured he was receiving capable care from doctors at the hospital and is expected to address the media by the weekend.
The Louisiana State University student, who earned the nickname “Torpedo” following sub-ten performances for his school prior to the Olympic Games last August, has been home for the Christmas holidays. On Tuesday this week, he copped the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee’s Sportsman of the Year award.
Thompson blazed the track Beijing in the 100 metres final, clocking a quick 9.89 seconds and a new personal best record before he later helped the Trinidad and Tobago’s 4x100 metres relay team of Keston Bledman, Emmanuel Callender and Marc Burns to a new national record and the silver medal at the Olympics, in a time of 38.06 seconds
Samuels said it was comforting that the start of the 2009 athletic season will get underway later in the year given Thompson will have some time to recuperate.
PC De Leon of the St Clair Police Station is investigating the incident.
