Mother’s Day was filled with grief for Kendra Dorant-Knight and her family as she mourned the loss of her only child, Sean Knight.
The 48-year-old father was killed around 11:55 p.m. on Saturday while attending a karaoke after a truck travelling along the Mighty Grynner Highway, St Michael, toward the Frank Worrell Roundabout, crashed into Waves Bar. Five other people were injured. Knight died on the spot.
His family were not only shocked by his tragic passing, but also heartbroken because he was weeks away from celebrating two momentous occasions: his wedding and the birth of a child.
Aunt Hetty Knight, speaking at the family home in Seclusion Road, Black Rock, St Michael, yesterday, fought tears as she recalled her nephew’s last interaction with them.
“He left here last night just to go down by the shop to have a drink. He came and he brought her [mum Dorant-Knight] a Mother’s Day gift. He would normally bring it today [yesterday],” she said, adding they received the bad news at a time that should have been celebratory.
“He was his parents’ only child. He now has a little girl in there and she is now going to university. It’s so sad because he was supposed to get married next month and he has a baby on the way,” Hetty told the DAILY NATION.
She spoke while supporting her brother Jerry and Dorant-Knight, who were admiring some of the baby furniture that Sean manufactured and the gift basket he brought.
Hetty also recalled the last words of advice Sean gave.
“He told me, ‘Aunty, you have that bad cough, you have to go to the beach and get wet from your head right down’.
“After that, he said, ‘Try to go up Hastings boardwalk and get some of the sea breeze. You will be all right . . . ‘ I did not know that would be the last time I would talk to my nephew,” she said before tears started to flow.
His parents were only able to give a few comments, describing their son as loving.
“I love my son,” Jerry said as tears streamed down his face.
Mother Dorant-Knight said: “He is a loving child and he was always willing to help others. You see all these . . . . These are all items he built. He just built those for the baby.”
Police communications and public affairs officer, Acting Inspector Ryan Brathwaite, said the driver of the lorry lost control
of the vehicle, which exited the roadway and crashed into the business.
Personnel from the Barbados Fire Service and police responded and the area was cordoned off.
Knight died at the scene, while five people were taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance for treatment.
A pole was knocked down and the business was extensively damaged.
Public relations officer for Waves Bar, Chanelle Walker, was on the job when the incident occurred.
“We had a karaoke for Mother’s Day. Everything was good and the vibes were great. Myself and the two owners were behind the bar giving out drinks. The next thing we heard was a big explosion, white smoke,” she recalled.
She said one of their customers who was exiting the bathroom was covered under the debris when the truck hit.
Walker is a student nurse at the Barbados Community College and worked as a medical assistant in New York where she had experience in trauma.
“When I heard that he was under the debris, my nursing instinct kicked in. I remained as calm as possible and helped bring him. He had a couple of bruises and lacerations, so I helped stop the bruising by tying off his leg. I packed it with paper towels and cleaned it with white rum to help clean the wound so it didn’t get infected, until the emergency medical technicians arrived,” she said.
She also recalled assisting a young woman who had an injury to the leg.
After they tended to the first victims, that was when she was informed that Knight was “under the truck”. She said his pulse was faint and they were unable to give further assistance.
“We are very sorry about what happened and give our deepest condolences to the family,” she added.
Police have asked for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the Black Rock Police Station at 417-7500 or 417-7501. (TG)
