The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

Residents in the Prince Charles Drive area are voicing their concerns on road safety after a car crashed into someone’s yard and caught on fire last weekend.

Melissa Darville, 45, described the ordeal to The Tribune as a “hectic, chaotic, scary night” as transformers were close by. She said she left her home out of caution as the car was still smoking and completely charred.

“I didn’t know what else could be going on, so I left…. I left that night with my kids,” she said.

Video footage showed a blaze from the front of a white car and a man trying to douse the flames. The vehicle appeared to be resting on a fence between two homes.

According to Ms Darville, the incident happened Saturday evening when she was inside her home. She said the keys to vehicle and the car’s Honda logo were left in her yard.

“All we heard was the screeching tyres and the wreckage of the fence and everything like lamp poles and then we had like an electrical shutter and then everything went boom and then the power went out,” she said.

“We could feel like the vibrations of impact…the kids ran to me, we got all the kids the together just as they were. Ran them to the door as we could see flames coming out right in our yard.”

Ms Darville said she ran to get a nearby hose, but it had no water. So she used a five gallon bottle filled with water inside so people who came to help could extinguish the flames.

Ms Darville added: “There were seven or eight guys (who) lifted him (the driver) out the car and put him on the porch and he was still unconscious and he was bleeding out the nose and they were trying to revive (him) and they were trying to find out who he was and they tried to find an ID.

“He finally woke up. I think they threw some water on him or something and then he kinda revived and then he was disoriented and I guess he was panicking and trying to flee and everyone was trying to calm him down.”

Along with an ambulance coming for the driver, Bahamas Power and Light and fire fighters were on the scene.

Living in the community for 20 years, Ms Darville said frequent accidents in the area are a concern.

“The last year it hasn’t been that bad but …I would say five, six years ago we would have a lot accidents on this road because how it change into . . .the highway - people just speeding out this corner,” she said.

“I hate to say it, when people (are) not paying attention or whatever they’re not expecting the curve and they don’t know the road well. Sometimes they’re not from the neighbourhood so the curve gets them off, you know off guard and then they end up running into the poles. “

To prevent future damage to area infrastructure, she suggested the wires be placed underground as well as barricades placed around lamp poles due people knocking them down.

Across the street, part owner of Dynasty Cafe Kimberly Marshall said she has not seen much incidents in the area but signs should be posted to warn motorists.

“I think what needs to happen is that they need to put signs up on how many miles per hour they go or just to slow down as they come because I know it is a bend when you coming around pass Doris (Johnson High Senior High School),” she said.

“I think we need to drive a little better than how we drive in the Bahamas…I feel like the motorists need to be very careful or take their time especially when you know you had a few drinks or alcohol in your system. I feel like you need to take your time.”