An 11-year-old school boy was hit by a pick-up truck (TJ 325) at about 1:30 pm as he attempted to cross the road in the Canefield area.
Police spokesman Claude Weekes said the lad did not sustain any broken limbs but did receive noticeable body injuries. He is currently at the Princess Margaret Hospital, where he is likely to remain for observation.
The Grammar School student lives in Cockrane.
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:
See our full comment/user policy/agreement.
this is not the site to give people mapwi so i thing all of al you need to get your facts straight before you could jump to any conclusions. Pray that the Island become the place it used to be free and fair and religious.
i know dominicans just so can not drive
@Valda Bruno – Durand: Miss Bruno You Should be a shame of yourself. I think that you are a disgrace to our Family. Say praise God the ‘FRUIT CAKE” that you gave your husband work. I hope you still have more where it came from. Before you talk to people about papers, remember how you got yours. Just to remind you, you are not and will never be welcome into our family. Damm you have no class for a married woman and so called publick person… now that you have the ‘PAPERS” GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF AND HIT THE ‘GYM” Don’t let the papers go to you head!……
@Valda Bruno – Durand: Valda please be respectful. I don’t expect that from you mepuis giving.. You are someone the young people are looking up to. Come on Valda give the kind of representation that you are supposed to give to the young people. Even if everyone is doing it doesnot mean it is right.
Valda play your role right and post eductaional and objective statements.
what we need is them traffic lights and walking signs…development people saves lives!!!!!
This road needs IMMEDIATE attention!…MANY accidents have occured on this road over the years
1. It wasnt a BUS DRIVER!
2. the bus put us down between the two pedestrian crossing by the ball park NOT THE OLD MILL
3. The little boy turned to wave some people who were passing on a bus then he just dashed across the road
IT WASNT THE DRIVER’S FAULT!!!!….
Most or maybe all of the people are blaming the bus driver WERE NOT EVEN THERE!
PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!
I saw the whole thing from the bus to the drain and hmmmm..
Lord help this A!
@ Cutie,
HAUL YOUR MODDER ASKING FOR YOU who the hell you calling dumb, you must be stuck in some basement somewhere working three jobs and still cannot save a penny, you illegal and have to hide when you see white people looking like is immigration, you cannot come home because police will arrest you for all the unpaid bills you left behind, you doh know when last you had a propper meal, how you can call me and my people dumb or dom however you spell it, know your damn place.
@don’t worry</adominica people not easy.
Why has’nt this Canefield Road, Highway, Freeway ,.M25 or Autobum what ever you wan’t to call it
Given imediate attention yet.It been for decades this been going on.Have traffic lights instuled,Grossing light.
Groosing Wallk,Warning signs.Have the police monitor that speeding strech with radar traps.The Dominica
Goverment need to take this dam thing seriosly.The students shoud be educated the danger of grossing that busy street I am a Concern Dominician living Overseas.
idk who needee is.. buh you sound like a real creat… seriously… i mean.. regardless the kid ran across the street or nt(nt sayin he did) the speed that the van was going.. there was nothing else dat was the outcome.. i mean.. its kidd.. from crying out loud.. even me.. if someting so takes me by surprise i kno i will freeze… note to you needee.. if you doe make kids yet…. DNT.. cuz i sure if somebody pitch your child and you dey in critical condition.. how he\she cross d road will b d last ting on your mind… i mean cummon.. arnt wi all humans here.. you need help… i hope you look both ways wi…. jus thank god it happened to that kid.. an nt you…. literally… an to the family,friends an comrades of that kid… my deeeeeeepest condolences.. right or wrong.. i mean.. wher is the love.. i hope creatures like yourslef get hit on the side walk.. den you will talk about lookin both ways… stupessssssssssss…lolol.. Dominican’s pas easey!!!!
where is this country located???
dominicans r so dom…………..stupid pll…………that country never upgrade………..i wonder when it will………..
You all are blaming the driver. The young boy was NOT on the pedestrian crossing, and was also walking back wards to the other side of the road,he was not even facing the approaching vehicle. the vehicle tried to pull brakes but it was too sudden. We need to educate these children on how to cross road in a proper manner
who in God’s name drives at 20mph dont lie ppl even if you know the driver DONT LIE!!!!!
like seriously?!?!…this boy is my bestfirend`s cuzin ok n the family is worried sick!…y`all blamin d truck driver…y`all blamin d boy…..relax nuh….yes i understand that we youths(me bein one), must learn to cross the road properly, look both ways and what not but y`all just makin it seem like d boy is a bad child n he jes walk across d road….if u doe kno anything just keep ur mouth AND ur fingers shut…
WHEN A CHILD IS CROSSING THE ROAD STOP! I UNDERSTAND SOME PPL STROLL ACROSS THE ROAD BUT Y’ALL WEREN’T THERE DON’T TALK ABOUT WHAT U DIDN’T C N GO N GIVE DE BOY A BAD NAME!JEEEZ WHEN U C A BUS DRIVER WITH HIS HAND OUT THE WINDOW ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IT MEANS SOMEONE IS CROSSING OR WILL BE CROSSING LET THEM PASS IT WON’D KILL U :@
STUPES PPL SUPPOSED TO STOP WHEN BUSES LETTING PPL PASS LEARN HW TO DRIVE!!!!!
it wasnt even a bus driver….-_-
the person who nearly killed him please dont show ur face at the dominica grammar school if we get to know that it was u who did that u mite get hert more than he did so please DONT SHOW UR FACE…………………
The Hospital needs a spoke person to give updates to the media.
Dominica needs traffic lights, too many cars. Drivers, especially bus drivers like to
test pedestrians. Bus drivers are always on a race. When a driver hits or kills some one
does the police check their driving record. And the police need to check to see if they have
been drinking, when drinking ones looses focus. Some times they don’t even have
insurance.
@Anonymous: You sound so much more like a fool than needee
wow, thats sad
@needee:
am sorry but you sound like a fool. This is an 11 year old school child who was wearing his school uniform, come on . Dominica is not America. GOD FORBID.
d chile shud cross d road properly.. wen ppl in america they runnin across road deh watchin up dwn left right
so why wen in dca they cya do it
cross d road properly next time
too much nonesense accepted in dca man
sry for the family pain but i talkin in general
i am very sadden to har that this little boy got hit by the vehicle to be in this critical situation.. but i think dominicans should take this as a lesson. vehicles dont have eyes.. you ppl see vehicles and want to take your precious time to cross the road!! even cuttin eyes and stupsin when the horn is blowin. it seems you all like to play with allu life cuz when the driver is alive and charged your the one suffering becuase of ya’lls ignorance to cross a road quickly!!! to the family hurting through this my support in being strong but to the others who lke to stroll pass vehicles!!!
REMEMBER ITS UR LIFE ON THE LINE… CARS AND JEEPS DONT FEEL ANYTHING!!
u know wat is 20MPH???????? The vehicle is crawling..wake up!!!!!!!!!!
Whatever the circumstances, I’m really sorry the little boy got hit.
What this forum should be focusing on, however is the absolutely incompetent and most useless traffic department in the Caribbean, that we have in Dominica.
If you all were to go around just the city and examine the things that ought to be changed and improved, you’d wonder if we have people with brains in that department.
Shame on the head of the Department, Irish, and everybody above and below him.
I AM SICK WHEN I HEAR “THE DRIVERS” HAVE NO RESPECT FOR PEDESTRIANS……I ALWAYS OFFER THE PEDESTRIANS THE OPPRUNITY TO CROSS…ALWAYS
what about a few crossing guards it works really well in antigua.i see this in motion every morning and it works well.my two cents.
DOMINICA NEED TO GET TRAFFIC LIGHTS
ppl please is best all u shut up….jah boy…some blame drivers and some blaming pedestrian..what is this the blame game…but what u all failing to realize that both drivers and pedestrian has an equal responsibility when it comes to using the road…not just drivers alone or just pedestrian alone..both of dem should respect the road…i know we have some reckless drivers but we have some reckless pedestrians too…so is not blame one and leave the other…the both need to respect the road
Look before you cross please. Cars don’t end up in hospital or in a coffin, people do. Cars have spare part, people don’t.
The driver was not speeding, and was alert and paying attention. The kid dashed across the road without looking, barely made it passed the first lane, and got hit at the other, from the side of the vehicle, which stopped. Usually I’d blame the drivers rushing at the lunch hour, but this time it wasn’t their fault.
Kids look before you cross and make sure it is safe to do so before you cross the street. When a driver stops, wait for him to signal that it is safe to cross. And even then, still look upstreet and downstreet for other in-coming traffic.
@Anonymous: Not every one is the same. Accident happen day to day and the simple reason of letting your guard it could happen to you too. Just pray for the little boy and his parents they are going through alot now.
We need to keep talking to our children no matter how old they are about how to cross a road/street
because it is their lives that are in danger. While I am aware that drivers do drive carelessly on the
road the onious is on we the parents / guardians to reireteriate the safe walking on the streets to
our children. I believe that this constant lecture would indeed save a lot of lives.
would a driver knock down anyone deliberately ??????????????????????????
do pedestrians dare drivers to “jam me noh” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
do both use the road without due care and attention ?????????????????????????
which of the two is usually busier ????????????????????
I HOPE WE ALL REALIZE THAT PERSONAL SAFETY COMES BEFORE “LUNCH”; “TOP UP”; “FACEBOOK”; OR “SHOW-OFF”
Pedestrian must wait for a driver to give them the signal to cross and all will be well. Especially those kids coming from school who think that the streets of roseau is theirs after school. Vehicles are metals and for pedestrians to think they can be in the street together with vehicles so be it then let them get what they get!
WHILE ITS TRUE THAT PEDESTRIANS DON’T SEEM TO RESPECT ONCOMING TRAFFIC ITS ALSO TRUE THAT DRIVERS DO NOT RESPECT SPEED LIMITS PERIOD.FOR THOSE OF YOU TRYING TO PUT THE BLAME ON THE KID HAD DRIVER BEEN DRIVING THE 20 MPH THATS TO BE ADHERED TO WHILE DRIVING THROUGH RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS AREAS THEN HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP AND THE KID WOULD HAVE BEEN IN SHCOOL AS WE TYPE.DRIVERS RUSH LIKE THEY’RE ALWAYS LATE TO GET TO WHERE THEY’RE GOING.YOU CAN’T BE LATE TWICE.LEAVE HOME EARLIER THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RUSHING TO GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GET.
Poor child I wish him a speedy recovery and comfort for his family at this time.
@Lapeau: A pick up truck hit a boy and everyone seems to be talking about bus drivers, as if it was a bus involved in the accident. Lapeau, what is the difference of stoping the bus after the pedestrian crossing wouldn’t the pedestrian be blind to the traffic coming in the other direction?
what we need is all drivers not matter what you diver to be on the look out, when the passenger bus stop to put down someone, casue many pedestrian dont have respect for traffic they walk when they one. We all must admit that if drivers are to be educated pedestrians are to be educated cause they do some crazy things. they seeing the vehicles coming and still walk across and they walk with this thought in mind ” he must stop” and when they get hit the driver gets the blame.
A few of us are speaking about the boy as if he has died, the way they are saying “HE WAS”. He is not dead, he is at the hospital. Let us pray that God will work through the nurses and doctors to revive him. In the meantime we cannot blame anyone.
I agree with the person named SOLDIER who observed that we are too much in a rush. He (I am assuming that person is a male) exaggerated a bit, but it is true that so many people are carelessly rushing to their death, one way or the other. But that truth is not only in Dominica. People just refuse to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN for the benefit of Life
Another problem is that we are really too slow in moving to the next level in development. Dominica is 517 years old according to her year of discovery by Christoper Columbus, Canada is only about half that age. But no one will understand that, based on the economy of Canada compared to that of Dominica. Why are we moving at such a slow space?
If not the whole country, but the streets of the main cities–Roseau and Portsmouth–need to have street lights, that will help drivers to know when to slow down, and for pedestrians to know when to get ready to cross the streets, due to the fact those streets are normally the busiest streets.
The news article said that the boy waved at his friends from the bus, and then he ran across the street. This alone tells me that the boy might have made a careless move. His mind was more focused on saying goodbye to his friends as he carelessly jump onto the road. The driver who was overtaking the bus which may still have been at a stand still, was certainly going too fast to prevent hitting the boy. There is no way of finding a right in the existence of two wrongs.
The other problem is that, since buses must stop at all sorts of intersections to let people out, those buses should have a light signal, or a form of sign from the bus driver, that drivers from both ways of the road should have to obey.
This means that whenever a bus is stopped and the light is flashing, or perhaps the driver is holding a big bright-red sign that says STOP for example, drivers behind that bus or those coming from the opposite way should stop until that bus moves off. With a direction like that, that 11 year old boy would not be in the hospital, fighting for his life today.
In Toronto, at the sound of the ambulance or fire-truck, nobody moves. Pedestrians must remain on the sidewalk, and all drivers must stop their vehicle, regardless of how busy or how late they are for work. Because the fire-trucks and the ambulance takes any lane that will take them to where they have to go, and they cannot stop for any person who is crossing or any driver who tries to make a turn, because they are driving at a very fast speed.
For one thing no matter how deaf a person is they cannot miss the sound of a fire-truck or the ambulance, because of its extreme loudness. So no one can say: I did not hear.
So the majority of our problems in Dominica has to do with our slow development. We are appointing men and women who will lay out the plans of development for us to follow. The rest of us need to build some wisdom of our own, that we might be able to discern the minds of those who have the conducts and attitude of leadership. And I am saying leadership, because we need a leader or leaders but we have to realize that we must follow or work with them for the benefit of our country and our satisfaction.
People of Dominica, please stop putting people in leadership because you like them as a person, or because they belong to your favorite political group. Choose people to lead you because you believe they are capable of being a leader. Those persons will be able to lay out cards that will cause them to come up with big wins on our behalf.
But if they fail to show you that kind of leadership. do not appoint them again, just because you want to support their group.
I know that kind of attitude. I have heard people around me say: I am Conservative, or I am Liberal–the two top political parties in Canada. That means that regardless of what their favorite party is doing, they will not change their vote at election time. But that can be very unfair and destructive, that is why I hate politics, and I will never cast a vote at an election.
@aa: that is so true i mean come on man
@Y:
You made a valid point.
The school children, especially the ones attending High School and the DGS in particular must learn to use the roads of Roseau and Canefield more intelligently.
I can recall as a young girl when the students from the SMA and the DGS would walk the streets of Roseau they would form single files coming down Valley Road while the SMA students would do the same coming from Turkey Lane, pass the Methodist Church then the two schools would meet on Great George Street and proceed to the West Bridge.
These young men looked sharp and demonstrated intelligent use of the roads. Granted in those days traffic jam in Roseau use to be 150 cars! But the principle remains the same.
Now fast forward 2010 and the level of school discipline has dropped immensely. Teachers and Education administrators are focused solely on attaining exams passes. So the finer life skills are neglected unfortunately. There is little appreciation for diversity and worse respect to each other in general. We are becoming a hostile people with a singular focus : grab as much and care less about the weak in our midst.
The commuting society has grown significantly and the supporting infrastructure lags behind. With the increases of personal vehicles and the further increases of services offered in and around Roseau the road network has not changed that much saved for the recent Bathroad Bridge on the Roseau River end that links Murphy Lane in Goodwill. We are still not out of the woods as yet. We still have the bottle neck at the federation drive and goodwill road junction. We have just escalated the one on Charles Avenue and Goodwill Road and created a new one at Bath Estate!!! By the way, can someone explain the erecting of food stalls on Charles Avenue opposite the DBMC/DBPL and Aid Bank with no provision for parking? What madness!!!! DNO you all need to start roving with your cameras!!!!
Up to now we yet to have traffic lights to regulate the traffic in and around Roseau. There is no mechanism that can assist pedestrians to use the crossings effectively. In Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica and many other Caricom Countries a pedestrian can press a button on a traffic light pole and a lighted sign that reads “WALK” , “Do Not WALK” will alternate at specific intervals allowing for the smooth mix of vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic to move about.
Some of these Caricom Islands have gone even further by making available elevated pedestrian crossings. A pedestrian uses steps on either side of the elevated crossing to access s heavy traffic junction. That way vehicles and pedestrians flow that much faster simultaneously.
And a few critical areas immediately come to mind for such elevated pedestrian walkway crossings: between Aid Bank and the Goodwill School; the Canefield Highway in the vicinity where this accident took place; on Goodwill Road around the Woodbridge Bay Port; the portion of the highway that is along the Castle Bruce High School; the Massacre Primary School.
Man can you believe with a population under 75,000 people in Dominica we already having problems in effectively controlling and regulating the smooth flow of vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic. What will happen when we begin to have plenty more people through CSME and returning Dominicans and tourist?
We need a comprehensive overhauling of our road use and the supporting infrastructure in Dominica. It is high time that we have our main bus terminals in Roseau covered and equipped with washroom facilities , some benches, a restaurant, an ATM machine, a flat screen TV streaming graphic adverts , breaking news, and weather information. The same can be done in Canefield, Laplaine, Marigot, Portsmouth, and other major populated areas around Dominica.
If our planning authorities can understand and appreciate the synergies that can be realized when we integrate smart utilization of our limited resources for the greatest impact of our citizens then we will be at the next level. Thus why must we all get out from work at 1:00 p.m. every day and even close our business establishments just to have lunch and even have school children out at the same time? St. Lucia has this integrated approach of road use and the general welfare of its citizens down to a science including the way buses move passengers.
There is an urgent need for us to step up to the next level. A significant amount of funds goes to the consolidated fund of the government from the transport “sector” – vehicle licenses, duty on vehicles and spares, VAT collected on the sale of fuel for vehicles – and this happens every day of the week.
Questions
1) WAS THE KID ON THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING? …………………………….NO
2) DID THE KID DASH ACROSS THE ROAD (FROM A BUS)…………………….YES
3) WAS THE DRIVER SPEEDING?………………………………………………………..NOT SURE
ANALYZE BEFORE YOU POST CRAP PPL ,FACTS SPEAK MOUNTAINS OF TRUTH!!
are these your ASSumptions or those of others? who say there was any speeding involved?
When u get off a bus you should only cross the road after the bus has moved off. Only then will you have a clear view of oncoming traffic.
Hope the child has a speedy recovery with God’s blessing.
We need traffic lights in Dominica .. thats right.. while some pedetrians play don’t car, bus drivers tend to think too that the road is theirs… they think they can stop anywhere how they want and move off how they want…
let”s stop the blame game. for 1 pedestrians need to allow vehicles to come to a complete stop before crossing on the pedestrian crossings. what if the brakes on the vehicle gives way? pedestrians believe
that once they reach the line they should cross. by just stopping for them to pass you could cause an accident if things are not done in the right manner
DRIVERS should adhere to the 20mile speed limit when going through villages.
then again i believe the police should stop looking to give people tickets for petty things in town and place themselves in strategic areas to to help prevent those things.
i understand the child ran across the road, but can we just be real here people! look at what’s happening on the streets of dominica the drivers on the road have no respect for the pedestrians they even look at you funny when you walk across the road, just look at the way they drive on the streets of roseau. so what i mean, there are things that can be avoided.
Drivers need to slow down. It is amazing to me that more people don’t get hit walking on the side of the roads. God must be here in DA.
HE WAS A VERY GOOD 4-H CLUB MEMBER, AT GOODWILL SECONDARY AND GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Dominicans must be more carefull when ever they hop off a bus, the shoud stand on the side of the road alow the bus to move away, then look at the coming trafic on both sides, be sure that the road is clear then walk across.
Just think of it that way. 1. No visibly posted speed limit signs. 2. No respect for pedestrians either on the crossings or elsewhere.3. Very little traffic enforcement in those areas of heavy traffic or anywhere else on the roads.and 4. Traffic division i suspect is undermanned and ill equiped to say the least . When was the last time you saw a clearly marked police vehicle designated as highway patrol or even traffic division? End result? what you’ve just read. Even tourist are asking if we have any policemen patrolling our streets.
when crossing da road think before cross just like they taught u all in pre-school looooooooook!!!!!!!!!!! LEFT and RIGHT before crossing da road sorry that happen to the family of da boy hope he is getting on alright in the hospital GAH BLESS.
We need traffic lights in Dominica. The drivers need the help. Normally when there are no street lights at an intersection the pedestrians have a right to cross! The drivers need to be more careful. Alot more
@soldier: garcon u funny lol
Please, let’s focus here on a student who has sustained injuries and a family who is suffering. This was my last year Grade 6 student at Massacre School. very obedient, quiet and hardworking. Arsho all of us at school are thinking of you especially Mrs Morvan, Mrs Georges and Mrs Pinard. Ms Beautreau and Mr Bellot, be strong. Arsho is a fighter and I know even when he goes back to school, he’ll catch up. In everything, not for everything, give thanks, because it could have been worst.
dats why i fraid pick up trucks unno …!!!!!!!!
Whiles it is true that we have a lot of “DON’T CARE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD”, we have a lot of people walking across the streets especially adults showing no respect to oncoming vehicles.
Have any of you driven through Roseau lateyl?? especially between the hours of 1:00pm-1:30pm on school days where they are alot of school children walking around.
Its about time that we have traffic lights in dominica
Its about time we have traffic lights in dominica.
There were two girls with the boy on the side of the road. He just ran across the road and was hit by the pickup truck. Thats the account one of the two girls told the police.
It’s unfortunate what happened, however I must say the Bus Drivers must be educated as to how to drop off their passengers. They usually, on approaching the Pedestrian crossing, stop just before it and allow the passengers to walk infront the Bus where they have no sight of the vehicles travelling in the direction of the bus and vice versa the uncoming vehicles have no sight of them.
NOTE to the bus drivers – please stop after the pedestrian crossing so that the passengers can walk to the back of your bus and see clearly the vehicles travelling in same direction of the bus, Most times the bus drivers don’t do the latter instead put out their arms for chaffeurs to stop-most times too late.
Some drivers had no respect for ppl who walk on the street.if you drive always pay attention to people whao used the road.hope the child will be ok
Its unfortunate,but our road users especially the school children must be taught how to use the road..Too many idle policemen,they need to do more of what is important to the safety of our country and its citizenry..the younger ones model on the adults,they are careless with their lives believing that a vehicle is a perfect piece of machiney,so it will stop from the monent the driver/chauffeur suspects the pedestrian is in danger.
Every one in a rush to go nowhere, cause Dominica has no where to go to in a rush.The slowest island in the world yet everyone in a rush, to go nowhere.
it’s sad but pedestrian need to respect vehicles if it is a cow they would run, not saying it is right to knock down anybody but jus saying more respect needs to be giving to vehicles driving….
It doesn’t freeging matter its a residential and business area. so why the hell plp speed there.
at times the pedestrians are at fault and u cant blame a driver but MOST times it the driver and the must be dealt with HARSHLY a fine of $10000.00 or 5 years in prison!!!
Hello.. Its not the drivers fault this time. tHE CHILD GOT OFF THE BUS AND RAN ACROSS THE ROAD. THE DRIVER DID NOT SEE HIM AMD EVEN WHEN THE DRIVER TRIED TO AVOID HITTING HIM HE CONTINUED TO RUN ACROSS THE ROAD SO KNOW YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU START BLAMING PEOPLE..
I really think that drivers who pays no attention to the pedestrian crossing should be charged.$500.00. The pedestrians to some drivers are just paintings on the street. Its Terrible!!
IT HAS SOME CARELESS,DON’T CARE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD!
The little boy crossed the road just opposite the ball park…He wasnt on a pedestrian crossing..he waved some people on a bus passing by then he just ran across the road
man drivers nowadayz av no respect 4 da road
It wouldn’t surprise me if he was right by the crosswalk close to the old mill…Many drivers have no respect for that thing….You standing there and they just drive by,…..everyone in a rush.