BREAKING NEWS: Portsmouth accident claims life of 10-month-old child

Emergency personnel on the scene

An accident in Portsmouth has claimed the life of a ten-month-old child, the police have reported.

The minor died at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

Police PRO, Inspector Simon Edwards said the accident took place at around 10:30 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2018, on the Michael Douglas Boulevard.

He stated that it involved a car, driven by Davianne Francis, 38, of Fond St. Jean and a truck, driven by Alson Thomas of Portsmouth.

Edwards said Francis was accompanied by Patricia Mingo, 70, Mikael Steward, 13 and Shea Dorival, ten months, all of Fond St Jean.

“According to the information, the car was traveling north to Portsmouth on the road while the truck was heading in the opposite direction,” he stated. “The driver lost control of the car, it veered off the lane and collided with the truck. The car was extensively damaged and the four occupants received varying degrees of injuries. The individuals were transported to the Reginald Armour Hospital, attended to and three were transferred to the Accident and Emergency Department at the Princess Margaret Hospital.”

He said the child succumbed at the hospital and was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.

The car involved in the accident

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

54 Comments

  1. Angel eyez
    September 6, 2018

    Prayers for the baby and family. Please don’t let this little ones life be in vain. I’m a former police woman and in the state I patrolled it was law to enforce citizens to wear seatbelts. Please I beg the gov of Dominica to revisit their seatbelt laws. The refusal to protect your citizens by enfocing this law is negligent and careless. These laws protect life. We don’t always know the driving skills of the driver around the bend. So many of these accident could be prevented….the culture in Dominica must change regarding seatbelts and drinking and driving or you will see more fatalities. Period.point. blank.

    • Jheri Curl
      September 6, 2018

      and they should arrest the driver for killing that child!

  2. Demand Progress
    September 6, 2018

    Now that all of you expressed your opinion about the enforcement of seat belt laws and babies in the back seat, form a committee to approach the government and insist that they enter it into law. Before you all hear pang for red clothes or blue clothes, everybody there. When is to ask and achieve positive things you all retreat into your shells like turtles. Your vote is your power. Go demand to keep our children safe. Stop waiting for children to die.

  3. Maxx
    September 5, 2018

    I tink dey shod allowed seatbelts & minor sittin in d back by law…

  4. dominican
    September 5, 2018

    all of all u that talking about skerrit that and skerrit this.. u all are just a bunch a ninkampoops….. what the heck does a man have to do with all that is happening… there is no one stronger than the man above called God… people just have to take their time and drive at the speed limit provided… he wasnt the one behind the wheel so stop talking all u crap.. piece of …..

  5. studio45
    September 5, 2018

    This is a tragic accident. I believe that the fatality could have been avoided if the infant was in an appropriate seat in the back of the car. Children under the age of 13 should not be travelling in the front seat of vehicles. Also, seat belts should be worn by everyone in that vehicle.

  6. September 5, 2018

    I can’t believe this happened. The poor little girl died not even a year as yet but only God knows

  7. mine
    September 5, 2018

    So sad it broke my heart very painful. I hope that others involve will be ok. why involve politics in a car accident, people stop all this negativity have some empathy.

  8. DominicanAmerican
    September 4, 2018

    Save all you TOP UP for constructive criticism. Stop wasting money.

  9. My name
    September 4, 2018

    The Portsmouth Hospital should be better equipped. They would not have to rush the patients down to the weakening PMH. Do they have personel that deals with Trauma????. DA fini bat

  10. Alice
    September 4, 2018

    A bunch of dumb comments for something so serious…when will we stop making the world think of us as fools. …people all over reading this …. we type. The way some of us think….I am surprised we computer literate to come here and type crap

  11. My Two Cents In
    September 4, 2018

    My deepest sympathy to the parents, relatives, and friends of the 10 month old. I do not think seat belt and child car seats usage were strictly enforced in Dominica the last time I was there, though I had my seat belt on. However, I think child car seats usage and seat belts for people in the car under 18 years usage should strictly be enforced, or the driver of the vehicle be charged. Also, I think there should be an increased occasionally public notice reminder for the driver to obey the speed limit and not to drive impaired and distracted, be it from alcohol, prescription and non prescribed drugs, from being tired, using mobile phone, etc.

  12. My bad
    September 4, 2018

    Every day is bad news from Dominica. If it’s not Erika is Maria ; if it’s not Monfared in jail is Ross University that running; if it’s not shooting, is stabbing; if it’s not 5 young men that died in a car crash, it’s a 10 month old that died in an accident; if it’s not a vagrant attacking a businessman it’s a fire that left how many homeless. Can you all not see something is wrong and our country is not enjoying peace and tranquility under Skerrit? It’s like we under a curse man. It reminds me of when Adam sinned and brought curse in the world according to Romans 5:12.

    • dora
      September 5, 2018

      @mybad… …And you like the one in the book of job,…. bringing the bad news.

  13. September 4, 2018

    :( :cry: so sad. what is happening?

  14. Stella
    September 4, 2018

    My sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those involved

    “But the car was travelling north on the road.” Where else nuh?

  15. TRUE DOMINICAN
    September 4, 2018

    People of Dominica get serious and be sympathetic to the family instead of mixing politic in a serious accident. Why do people like to call the PM name in such a serious matter where a child lost he or her life. We a too low minded and the outside world will laugh at us every time we open our mouth a speak these rubbish. No wonder some people call us Dome-In-A-Can because we speak a lot of rubbish instead of finding ways to fix the problems on our road with the drivers.

  16. Sisserou
    September 4, 2018

    Michael Douglass boulevard?? What happened, land the car was landing?

    • Logically speaking
      September 6, 2018

      I think u have the boulevard confused with Douglas-Charles airport

  17. Shaka Zulu
    September 4, 2018

    Very tragic. My sympathy goes out to the family and friends who lost thier loved ones. Dominicans please be Carefull on the road. One fatality is tooooo many. :cry:

  18. Sams
    September 4, 2018

    The baby should have been in car seat at the back stop putting babies in front of transport time to pass that law in Dominica

    • Carey17
      September 5, 2018

      That’s absolutely true. The laws need to be passed. Children should be securely fasten in a car seat. It’s so sad this baby had to go like this. My condolences to the family. May her souls rest in peace.

  19. Sams
    September 4, 2018

    People take your time on the road speed had a roll in this accident no one had to tell u the driver of the car should be charge when you on the road you have to think of other people life

    • Anoyn
      September 5, 2018

      I’m pretty sure my aunt had everyone in mind while she was driving seeing as her OWN MOTHER AND CHILD wasn’t in the car as well

  20. Wrong is wrong
    September 4, 2018

    Alah. Driving from Portsmouth to Roseau under pain would be difficult for a 10 month old child to survive. That’s where I get upset because of it was Skerrit or Reggie’s child or relative they would be airlifted on an ambulance helicopter and be flown to Martinique or to some serious country with a serious hospital. My prayers are with the relatives and friends of that family as they continue to hope for the best with other family members involved in the accident.

  21. Sad
    September 4, 2018

    I am so sorry to hear about this it really broke my heart to see this. However I must say to all parents with toddlers and babies stop put these children in the front seat. Please I will say again stop put children in the front seat. Police force reenforcement of this is needed. Remember the seat belt rule you were trying to reinforce a couple of years ago do one so for people who have their kids in the front of a car.

    • Pondering
      September 4, 2018

      It is incorrect to stay ‘stop put’ you should say instead ‘stop putting’ I dont know where Dominicans picked up that new trend of speech. Smh.

  22. Yo Yo
    September 4, 2018

    yes possie direct write before you inquire or think.

  23. bwk
    September 4, 2018

    everybody like to blame skerret..skerret this…skerret that…… well i am going to blame the u.w.p, edision james to be exact … for being so incompetent, losing the election in the year 1999. which then allow the labour party to be in power from that point in time… hence the reason why skerret is the prime minister in this present day …lol….lol….and since we pointing fingers…lets point fingers to the late dame eugenia charles for losing to edision james….lol..SOT!!

    • Anonymous
      September 4, 2018

      what is your statement coherence with the tragedy above…. Waw!? Smh! Disgraceful!

    • DA Fails
      September 4, 2018

      That was a good joke, no lie :lol:

  24. Possie vibes
    September 4, 2018

    I am asking God to protect them while in that so call hospital. Thanks to Ian Douglas and the labour Party that we have a modern and well equipped hospital on the Northern side. Hope one day their children and themselves may check in.

    • Irma
      September 4, 2018

      Sarcasm doesn’t become you Sir.

  25. WHAT IF
    September 4, 2018

    Another fatal accident this time in the town of Portsmouth, not far from where Ross University, once upon a time was. It was just last weekend Skerrit was talking about kumpiski hotel that is on track to open next year in the Portsmouth area. As I ponder on the vision, the priorities, and mission of this Skerrit administration, a few what ifs come to mind. For example, what if Skerrit had sold passports to build a state of the art hospital in Portsmouth, instead of the kumpiski hotel , would Ross lhave left Da? What if instead of those villas, the coffee plant and Moroccan hotel Skerrit had used those monies to put with the $200 million he told us is in the bank for an international airport, would Ross have left Dominica? Now some of the people that are said to be in critical condition and yet, have to be driven on ambulance for at least 45 minutes; what if we had a state of the art hospital in Portsmouth, wouldn’t their fate chance of surviving be much better? PM failed again

    • Jacinta
      September 4, 2018

      O please what all that have to do with this accident. Boy all u people. Hmmm

    • September 4, 2018

      Words to ponder on, can’t be said better

    • KID ON THE BLOCK
      September 4, 2018

      You forgot to add.. WHAT IF, You , Lennox, the UWP and the UWP supporters wasn’t blocking roads and setting them on fire, burning down the city, stoning the police, using threathening words and comments to the government and the PM, Would Ross have left Dominica?

      • Panda ?
        September 5, 2018

        Yes, still would have left. It is normal to protest in Democratic states.

      • Underwater man
        September 5, 2018

        An accident happen .I don’t see where that talk of Ross is coming up on you comment.have some sympathy and grow up.

      • Anonymous
        September 5, 2018

        Please explain to me what does any of this has to do with my cousin that died and the rest of my family that’s in the hospital ?

      • DA Fails
        September 5, 2018

        Pretty sure they would’ve still left kiddo :lol:

    • Tsk Tsk Tsk
      September 4, 2018

      But what that have to do with anything???? Everything is POLITICS for all you!!!!!

  26. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    September 4, 2018

    Hopefully, they were not transported to the hospital in the back of a pick-up truck with building materials. I hope they were transported in an ambulance and they were treated like precious human beings, someone’s family member etc. and not like a sack of trash just thrown about without any care in the world.

    • Grace
      September 4, 2018

      You sound like an idiot. How can they transport them at the back of a pick up truck? smh

      • AA
        September 4, 2018

        Well did you see How the Young man who was shot in roseau was transported

      • Deaf and Blind
        September 4, 2018

        But Grace you sound like perfect idiot, who has no understanding. Indirectly he was saying the people is dead already and we know ambulance doesn’t transport dead people.

      • Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
        September 4, 2018

        Did you not see the last photo where a gunshot victim was transported to PMH in the back of a pick up truck?

  27. September 4, 2018

    Please slow down, it is better to be late for work or an appointment than to be referred to as the Late. I hope everyone is ok. Dominica is such a beautiful place with breathtaking scenery. Why would anyone want to speed through such beautiful landscape? Slow your row please.

  28. Possie Direct
    September 4, 2018

    I recognize some of the faces standing outside and they all look ok. I also recognized the driver of the car and he too looks ok. For those that went to the hospital I hope it’s nothing serious. Anyways all the best to all.

    • Yourmama
      September 4, 2018

      The driver is a she and she is in critical condition also pregnant

      • Possie Direct
        September 4, 2018

        Oh wow! Thanks for the info. I really thought the driver was the man I saw next to the car. That thing seems more serious than I thought to the point that I even heard of fatality. Now I am eager to know who because as a Possie man myself I don’t know if is not my people. Lord help us and strengthen the people as they once again have to be in pain and sorrow.

      • Da
        September 5, 2018

        My aunt is in critical condition but she is not pregnant.

      • Pple take it easy on the roads
        September 5, 2018

        @DA, sorry to hear, hope she pulls through. Was the deceased toddler the driver’s child?

      • Da
        September 5, 2018

        No the child was the driver’s niece

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available