The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK 

Tribune Freeport Reporter 

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A GRIEVING grandmother says the loss of 14-month-old Kengdom Seymour, her last grandson, in a horrific New Year’s Day crash has devastated her family, and the premature posting of the tragedy online has only added to their pain.

The crash occurred, around 6.10pm on Queen’s Highway in West Grand Bahama, involving three vehicles. Kengdom was travelling with his mother, who sustained serious injuries and remains hospitalised. The toddler died of his injuries at the clinic in West End.

“This is difficult, like a bad dream,” said Kengdom’s grandmother, April Garvey, who said that some relatives learned of the child’s death through social media before all relatives could be notified. “That is terrible. We had not yet told his mom that he passed, and his daddy found out on social media. We need to stop doing that.”

She said the child’s mother, who remains hospitalised with serious injuries, had not been told her son had died at the time of the Facebook post.

The crash occurred around 6.10pm on January 1 on Queen’s Highway in West Grand Bahama. Police said three vehicles were involved: a white Nissan Cube driven by the toddler’s mother, with Kengdom as a passenger; a Nissan Fuga driven by an adult male with two female passengers; and a grey Nissan Cube driven by another adult male.

The vehicles were extensively damaged, with one engulfed in flames. Fire Services responded to extinguish the blaze. All occupants sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital.

The toddler was rushed to the clinic in West End but died of his injuries shortly after arrival. His mother sustained severe injuries, including a broken hip and pelvis, and is awaiting surgery.

“My daughter is coherent, but she has a broken hip and pelvis,” Mrs Garvey said. “At this point, we are trying to make arrangements for her. The doctor that could do the surgery is not on the island, and they

say she can’t do surgery until Wednesday.”

Recounting the moments leading up to the crash, Mrs Garvey said her daughter had only just left home to pick up her other son from Bootle Bay.

“She just left home three minutes before the accident,” Mrs Garvey said.

The emotional toll has been overwhelming for the family, particularly for Kengdom’s mother.

“She knows that her son has passed away. It is difficult on her because physically she is dealing with pain and everything, and she is also dealing with the loss of her baby,” Mrs Garvey said.

She described Kengdom as a sweet and loving child who brought joy to everyone around him.

“He was the sweetest baby you could ever imagine,” she said. “The amount of support we have gotten is tremendous, but the support was for Kengdom himself. He touched all kinds of lives. He was a sweet baby and was never a fussy baby. He loved to sing songs like ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘Up and Down’ with Rachel, and doing the signs.”

Concerns were raised on social media about delays in the ambulance’s arrival at the scene, with reports suggesting it took over an hour for emergency services to respond.

Kingsley Smith, MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, extended his condolences to the victims and their families, offering prayers and expressing a commitment to improving infrastructure in the area.

“I wish to assure families, some of whom I know on a deep and personal level, that our collective prayers are with them, especially those related to the young life lost,” Mr Smith said. The absence of streetlights along Queen’s Highway in certain areas, including Bootle Bay and West End, has been a longstanding issue. The stretch of road has had numerous serious accidents in the past. Mr Smith urged motorists to exercise caution and diligence when travelling along the highway as investigations into the crash continue.

Kengdom’s death marks the first traffic fatality for Grand Bahama and the nation’s second for 2025.