THE LIVES of ten people have been lost in one week on the main artery which links the northern and southern ends of Trinidad.
Six people died on Saturday night on the Solomon Hochoy Highway.
Co-workers Premchand James of San Juan, Sunil Mangroo, 25, and Patrick Denzil Cyrus, 17, both of Carapichaima, and their boss Shane Basdeosingh, 43, of New Grant, died when a silver Nissan AD wagon driven by Radesh Kissoon, 29, of Aranjuez, crashed into their black Ford Ranger.
Kissoon also died on the spot.
Sole survivor Abid Ali, 39, of Chaguanas, was said to be in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.
Kissoon was heading south along the highway around 9.20 p.m. when, on reaching the Claxton Bay Flyover, he lost control, crossing onto the other side of the highway and collided with the van, police officers said.
Basdeosingh, a contractor, was dropping his workmen home.
Hours later Tamara Sookdeo also died in similar circumstances in a separate accident near the same flyover.
Last weekend Auxiliary Fire Officer Tsianne Richardson, 25, her boyfriend Nicholas Puckerin, 29, and siblings Carlene James, 35, and Ronald James, 36, were killed when their car rammed into the rear of a gas delivery truck along the Uriah Butler Highway.
Premchand James, 49, was described as a quiet man who kept to himself but made sure that his mother was provided for.
He lived at her home at Ramkissoon Trace, Santa Cruz Old Road.
His sister Kumari Paria said he had no children and was not married.
She said he worked hard for whatever he wanted and was returning from a "job", when tragedy struck.
The family appeared to be in a state of shock yesterday afternoon as they received visitors who made their way up a hill to get to the house.
The Express also spoke to relatives of one of the other victims of Saturday night's accident.
The relatives of Radesh Kissoon were not at their Samaroo Street, Aranjuez home yesterday afternoon but had gone to the San Fernando General Hospital after being told around noon of the man's death.
Friends and neighbours were there but none of them wanted their names mentioned.
Neighbours and friends gathered at the house said that although the accident occurred Saturday night they didn't know that he had been killed until about noon yesterday.
They said that he worked in the lab at the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre at Federation Park, Port of Spain.
"He was a cool person," said one of his neighbours. "Every morning you used to see him praying by the altar."
"He was a nice quiet fella, not rowdy at all", added the neighbour.
The neighbour also said that just two months ago the family held a prayer ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the death of Ramesh Kissoon, Kissoon's father.
"The family was still coping with that," said the neighbour.
