Fatal car crash leaves three dead, one in critical condition |22 April 2020

The site where the accident occurred (Photo: Joena Meme)

The police confirmed the death of three men who were involved in a fatal car crash at Carana, Glacis at 2.45am yesterday, which increases the total of road fatalities for this year from three to six.

A fourth has been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Seychelles Hospital and is said to be in critical condition.

The deceased are 40-year-old Terry Arissol of La Louise, 33-year-old Derreck Poris of Plaisance and 29-year-old Paul Hoareau of Roche Caiman who were all pronounced dead on scene.

Head of traffic section, Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Antoine Desnousse, said that the car was driving northbound when it left the roadway at a bend and landed down on the beachside.

The accident was reported to the police by a resident nearby at around 3am where police officers and paramedics were dispatched.

They were assisted by fire and rescue officers who removed the bodies from the car.

“All indication points to speeding since there were evidence of skid marks on the road,” ASP Desnousse told the media yesterday.

It remains unclear at this point as to why the four persons were on the road in the early morning especially given the restriction of movement period the country is currently in.

“We are at the initial stage of our investigation so we cannot state what caused the accident in which three persons lost their lives. A detailed and open investigation will reveal the exact circumstances behind the accident,” ASP Desnousse said.

“We did not have roadblock in place at this time in the early morning,” he added.

He also denied rumours stating that the four passengers were dressed in attire similar to that of the Anti-Narcotics Bureau (ANB) or that they were being chased by police or ANB officers.

“They were in their normal clothes and it is untrue that police officers were chasing after them. These persons were outside on their own free will and were not obeying restrictions in place.”

ASP Desnousse added that the police did not find any illegal substances in the possession of the four passengers.

“It is important to take note that the ANB officers who came on the scene did so as part of the police force. All of the units in the force are on standby; the first to reach the scenes are officers in the regional stations – in this case Anse Etoile and Beau Vallon – and other officers reached the scene gradually,” ASP Desnousse explained when asked why ANB officers were at the scene of the accident.

The police have further observed a number of drivers speeding over the last few days to beat the 7pm deadline, and have called on drivers to be more cautious and manage their time in order to avoid serious accidents.

“This recent incident shows that there was speeding involved and I am asking drivers to be more careful and avoid speeding. Speed and alcohol sometimes lead to death in some circumstances and we need to ensure that we reach our family safe and not end up at the mortuary.”

“Additionally, it is every individual’s responsibility to obey the restrictions on movements; you don’t need roadblocks to know that you should not circulate,” ASP Desnousse said.

This is the most serious road accident that the police force has dealt with for quite a while.

Elsie Pointe