FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Dante Carrer
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis believes he is lucky to have avoided harm after a man with a “British accent” accosted him while driving last week and forced him to veer off the road into someone’s driveway.
He said he spoke of the unusual encounter in the House of Assembly yesterday during a debate on anti-gang legislation to show that road rage does exist.
“As politicians, you too must be careful,” he said.
Dr Minnis said he was heading home from Starbucks in Cable Beach around 7.30am when a car driver tried to overtake him dangerously.
“I was driving a normal, relaxed mode heading home,” he said. “That car that was overtaking me had to slow down and avoid himself hitting into another car.”
“As I turned, that car followed me. I assume that it was somebody following me who just wanted to talk. I continued driving and that car pulled up on the side of me. To avoid hitting the car, I had to drive basically across somebody’s driveway to avoid the car.”
Dr Minnis said the driver continued following him so at one point he stopped and lowered his window to see who it was.
“An individual with a British accent,” he said, “started to accost me and aggressively threw words at me, stating that I could have caused him to run into a vehicle. And he aggressively continued.
“Before taking off and realizing and recognizing that this was a case of road rage, the only thing I said is that you should be happy that I’m travelling by myself this morning because if my aides or my security was with me, this conversation would never have happened.”
Dr Minnis said the matter is being investigated, with police looking for a Caucasian British man.
“As politicians, we take life lightly and not serious,” he said. “We automatically assume that people are calling us because they are probably your constituent, friend or whatever, and they want to talk. We stop. We expose ourselves by screwing down our glass. But I was lucky. It could have been an individual who could have taken a shot at me.”
Comments
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
Policemans' placed on island wide look-out for a suspect fitting specific facial and skin features of a caucasian Englishman's! --- "The only thing I said is that 'you should be happy' that I’m travelling by myself this morning because if my aides or my security was with me, this conversation would never have happened." --- Just can't write such. --- Good Day!
John 7 months, 1 week ago
Don’t be surprised! The Caucasian wife of a previously very prominent politician and astute businessman was known for her road ‘rage ness’. She would pull up on vehicles, tail gate them then lay in her horn until they pulled over and let ‘her madness thru’. And there are reported incidents of non less than the PM’s vehicle, probably not occupied by him at the time forced vehicles off the road in a rage.
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
@ComradeJohn, told they might be on look-out for a Caucasian crossdresser who returned after studying at a university in London, England --- With a tongue that's easily mistaken for a real Londoner. --- Yes?
John 7 months, 1 week ago
Your tale doesn’t compute about the wife of a former MP being a cross dresser. Especially since you said tge crosss dresser only recently returned from London and the MP’s wife was practicing her road rage antics ways before ‘recently’
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
Might very well fit the description of the wife of a former cabinet minister. --- Yes?
stillwaters 7 months, 1 week ago
Seriously though........retired people can wait a few hours to go get their coffee, doughnuts, and newspapers. They just add to already congested morning traffic. Just my two cents......and I am retired too, by the way. I can't see why the police are getting involved......people cuss each other out all day on these roads......no policed involved.
ohdrap4 7 months, 1 week ago
i would have just headed to the nearest police station, he might have given up following me.
i have a long daily commute and encounter many agressive overtakers, and see accident very frequenly.
I have never seen a British driver pull up in front of me , turn left on red narrowly escaping my right of way or honk behind me at the red light.
ExposedU2C 7 months, 1 week ago
He was lucky, but we the Bahamian people were not so lucky!
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
The thing is there could be a work permit Englishman's at-large about Nassau Town, --- Who is guilty of no more than intentionally dodging the potholes at the last second. -- And because he was forced to follow so closely behind a slow driver --- He had no idea about the driver ahead being in fear. --- Yes?
pablojay 7 months, 1 week ago
I hope you see why i would not support him as prime minister again. after all of that Minnis was not smart enough to get the license plate number....wow!
LastManStanding 7 months, 1 week ago
Same thing I thought, if he truly felt threatened he should have recorded the incident on his phone and got the plate number. There is a non significant number of conchy joes and expats in Nassau so just saying a "Caucasian man with British accent" really isn't helpful at all. At the end of the day having words is not a crime though, nothing much he can do unless it turns violent or there is some kind of property damage.
TalRussell 7 months, 1 week ago
Dr. Minnis, own recollections of a road event has offered no corroborating evidence that strengthens nor confirms as to the precise day of the week, nor the month. Nor the year when he was heading home from Starbucks in Cable Beach around 7.30am ---- When a car driven by a caucasian, Englishman's speaking man's, tried to overtake him dangerously. --- Now, we must await the at-large Englishman's account of a road incident.--- Yes?
mandela 7 months, 1 week ago
Dr. Minnis should be charged with gang affiliations and leader as he stated if his gang where there the conversation would never have happened.
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birdiestrachan 7 months, 1 week ago
Did he get the license plate number or the type of car he does have a problem with Truth some say in GB they can not pull over on the side of the road pyramids with steel pickes
birdiestrachan 7 months, 1 week ago
Did he get the license plate number or the type of car he does have a problem with Truth some say in GB they can not pull over on the side of the road pyramids with steel
IslandWarrior 7 months ago
Stop the Traffic Assassinations
"Now, while we rightfully focus on addressing gun violence, we must not overlook the equally pressing concern of the hazardous traffic conditions faced daily by both Bahamians and tourists. Although traffic incidents may not lead to immediate deaths as frequently, the consequences of these accidents are often life-changing and tragic for many innocent road users.
Insurance companies may implement a three-strike rule for high-risk drivers, yet such drivers can easily switch to other providers. Despite the presence of substantial penalties for serious traffic violations, connections such as having a relative in the police force may enable some offenders to evade accountability.
Reckless driving behaviours such as running amber lights or failing to stop at stop signs can lead to devastating collisions, especially when these actions disregard the rights of other drivers. Such negligence can result in fatal outcomes and long-lasting repercussions for those involved.
In conclusion, the focus on addressing gang violence must extend to include the equally deadly issue of traffic violence. It is essential to direct the same level of attention and resources to both forms of violence to protect lives and foster safer communities."
John 7 months ago
There are several restaurants and pubs in the area where Minnis said the incident occurred. And they are known to attract non Bahamians and persons with slurred British accents. Not only are they known for ‘pulling out’ of the parking lots in front of oncoming traffic, but some park on sidewalks with part of their vehicles jutting out into the round about. And yes, it’s a bloody nuisance and a hazard trying to navigate the parked vehicle especially when there is another vehicle driving on the side of you. How they allowed these businesses to open with inadequate parking?
ExposedU2C 7 months ago
Many of us well remember this arrogant, nasty and evil SOB readily admitting he had no idea whether he was heading east or west while he was PM.
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