She was driving the car and survived the crash, but her boyfriend, who sat next to her, was not so lucky.
Traffic was backed up both ways along Brereton Road in St Philip as firemen feverishly tried to free 56-year-old driver Valdene Burton from her vehicle, after it was involved in an accident yesterday morning.
Burton, of Hannays Valley, Christ Church, was later hospitalised and listed in stable condition after she escaped with pain to the back, left side and neck.
The news was not so good for her fiancé, 49-year-old Francis Lorde. He died on the spot around 7:55 a.m.
Lorde, chief of security of Crystal Cove by Elegant Hotels in Appleby, St James, lived at Seaview Park, Long Bay, St Philip. He is the sixth person to die on the roads for the year.
According to police reports, Lorde was in the front passenger seat when the car collided with a truck driven by Ken Williams, 49, of Four Roads, St Philip. Williams did not complain of pain but was traumatised.
When contacted, Lorde’s relatives were too distraught to speak.
Two fire tenders and eight fire officers under the command of Divisional Officer Errol Gaskin responded. They had to use the Jaws of Life to cut Burton and Lorde out of the smashed vehicle.
Teresa Petro, a resident of Brereton for over 40 years, called on the relevant authorities to conduct an investigation into the stretch of road on which the incident occurred, in light of the “many” accidents that have taken place there.
Petro, who usually sits in her patio every morning, happened to be a few metres away from the accident. She added she was becoming concerned about her safety. (SB)
