The intersection between King Street and Amara Avenue is one of the busiest in the city. First it is a four way intersection, second, it’s one block away form the central bus terminal and the city’s main market, plus it is less than a block from a primary school. But on Saturday around 6:00 on the evening, it wasn’t only one of the busiest, it was also the deadliest – as was evidence when a small child on a bike was crushed beneath the merciless wheels of a speeding car. And, a car that continued speeding after it crushed him. Jacqueline Godwin has more.
Anacelia Castillo, Mother
“I don’t know how those people could ever repay me back because they took away everything from me. They don’t know much pain I am going through right now.”
Anacelia Castillo says she will never get over the loss of her 6 year old son, who was knocked down at this intersection. Eyewitnesses say this Toyota Highlander with dealer plats wasn’t speeding, it was racing through the intersection.
Fareed Ahmad, Eyewitness
“That guy was driving no less than 65 miles per hour that evening, no less than that.”
Fareed Ahmad operates this barber shop at the corner and saw what happened.
Fareed Ahmad,
“Just coincidentally I was standing right out here when that happened. You had a little boy about 5 years old I guess was passing his bike on King
Street here, passing across, and the guy from out of the blues just sped past and knocked down the little boy. The boy got knocked down from here to way across the street over there to by the drain.”
That’s about 50 feet away and 6 year old Jose Garcia had no chance of survival he died on the spot from extensive head injuries. But the driver identified as Stephen Palacio never stopped to check on him he fled the scene, dragging the bike beneath the Highlander.
Fareed Ahmad,
“The bicycle, aside from the vehicle dragging the bicycle from way down here to up there, we found a wheel way in front by under a bus by Grace Primary School; one of the wheels for the bicycle. The seat was on the other side so.”
And the child was much worse off.
Jose Garcia Sr., Witness
“His head back was bust open, his ribs were broke up, his legs were broken, his neck was broken – he just dead mammy. I feel bad.”
It is an almost unspeakable tragedy – but was it avoidable.
Fareed Ahmad,
“He was crossing the bike, he didn’t stop at the stop sign, that is true. I mean he is young.”
Young but he knew how to handle himself according to his father Jose Sr. his son though only 6 knew the rules of the road.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you believe your son is responsible?
Jose Garcia Sr.,
“No he is not responsible. He was an innocent young boy who gone in just like that. Three of them were riding bike and you two had already gone
across and he stayed and waited for the vehicle pass but the vehicle just came from nowhere and knocked him down.”
Anacelia Castillo,
“I got yellowman and all those ones out there who saw this accident. They said the little boy was at the sidewalk waiting for this vehicle to pass and the vehicle which overtake, that is the one that took away my pickni life.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Your son coulda mi handle a bicycle, how long has he been riding?
Jose Garcia Sr.,
“From he was four.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So he observes all stop signs, he knows when to slow down, he knows when to stop?
Jose Garcia Sr.,
“Yes mammy.”
Jose Sr. who is a vendor at Queen’s Square market just a block away from where it happened, has no time to grieve – he has two other younger children to take care of. But for the child’s mother who is handling the funeral arrangements the grief and lack of accountability is overwhelming.
Anacelia Castillo,
“I want tell this driver if he could please come see because this is a poor people pickni they tek whe right so. How could they ever do that and they left my baby like my baby is animal on the street.”
A street that continues to be a worry for those who use it daily.
Fareed Ahmad,
“Three schools on this street and I don’t understand how up to now we only have one speed bump in front of Grace Primary. A lot of bumps need to be put because a lot of people take this street as a freeway.”
Reporting for 7News, Jacqueline Godwin.
And that mid-city freeway was the site of another accident shortly before we got there this morning. A taxi van was involved, but it didn’t hit anyone, instead it ran unto the sidewalk and right into the storefront of a Chinese grocery on the corner, ripping off the store’s door and leaving a few shattered windows on the sidewalk.
