Tragedy at Gulf City Mall: Man crushed to death while helping female driver park

Trinidad and Tobago: A young male was crushed to death while helping a female driver in parking her car on Tuesday. According to the information, what began as an act of kindness turned deadly for a Moruga resident at Gulf City Mall in La Romain, Trinidad yesterday. 

Ethan Collymore was reportedly assisting a 35-year-old female driver to park her car at the mall when she accidently reversed into him and pinned him under the car near Kappa Drugs. 

It is said that a security officer who witnessed the tragedy noted that around 10:40 am, the victim had moved a cone and was standing behind the vehicle to guide the female into the parking space.  

However, instead of pressing on the brakes, the woman accidently pressed the accelerator and caused the vehicle to speed backwards.  

The officer further recalled that while moving the cone, the victim went behind the vehicle to give direction to come back and apparently, instead of going on the brakes, her foot went on the clutch and the vehicle ended up going back in a very high speed, hitting Collymore. He added that the car flipped up in the air and dropped back down on top of him. 

“The driver was bawling, she was so scared,” added the security officer saying that others rushed towards the vehicle and got her out of it before lifting the vehicle up and getting Collymore.  

Reportedly, the man was bleeding severely from injuries to his head and was shouting and he is in pain. At one point he stopped breathing and medical workers from a nearby store performed CPR on him until the ambulance arrived, recalled the security officer.  

The officer also expressed his disappointment with the ambulance’s response and emphasised that if it had arrived a little earlier, the man could have been saved.  

The incident sparked outrage among netizens who demanded immediate action against the female driver. 

“Her License needs to be taken away and she needs to be jailed … but guess what? It's a woman! A “mistake” was made, if it was a man the entire country would have him up against a wall …. Normal failure today,” wrote a user named Christian Thomas while another said, “where did she learn to drive she should be charged.”