Tonight, the Davis family in Fresh Pond village is grieving the loss of three vibrant young women, after the pickup they were travelling in swerved off the George Price Highway and slammed into one tree and then another.
The three women, a 27-year-old and two 17-year-olds were killed instantly while only their cousin who was driving survived.
Cherisse Halsall was at the crash scene this morning and tonight she brings back this incredibly tragic story.
This morning this mangled pickup truck was all that was left of 27-year-old Virginia Davis, and her 17-year-old sister and niece Torrie Gentle and Dorothy Davis.
The women had spent the evening traveling between Fresh Pond and Sandhill villages but met their deaths on a dangerous curve near the Tubal training school. It's a tragedy that's left their family in complete shock and that shock was still evident this morning when we spoke to their brother and uncle Levi Davis:
Levi Davis, Brother & Cousin Of the Deceased
"They had come to a little game to mein, a little game and they just left from there you get the sense, they left from there real quick and then from there you could say it was an accident you get the sense."
Cherisse Halsall:
"You were playing in the basketball game?"
Levi Davis, Brother & Cousin Of the Deceased
"Yes, ma'am."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And you said they left even before the game started?"
Levi Davis, Brother & Cousin Of the Deceased
"Before the game started yeah. I looked up at about half time so, I wanted to know how they hadn't come back, you get the sense. You just hear the news, three people are dead in an accident, and when you look. It's our same white vehicle you get the sense."
"They were young, they were young too men my little niece and thing, my little niece and my little sister they were close and my big sister too, they just turned around to come an hail my mom and thing you get the sense, they came to watch my game, you get the sense and to Hera that happen, that is really sad, you get the sense that is real rough."
"They, well if everybody that knows the, that sees this you get the sense, you get the sense, they know how they thing go, you get the sense, they always make whoever is around happy, you get the sense. They always give a nice vibe so that is what people will miss especially my little sister, you get the sense for the whole fresh pond you know. She she cooperate with everybody and had a close relationship with them you get the sense, the same way my big sister too hype up and thing you get the sense and she just came around right there I am telling you. That was the last time to see her right here, you get the sense."
And this afternoon ACP Hilberto Romero told the media that the three women were killed on impact.
ACP Hilberto Romero, O.C., Eastern Division
"Information is that Curtis Belisle was driving a pick up truck along with three passengers, when he lost control of the vehicle at a curve, the vehicle slammed into a mango tree, and thereafter overturned, the bodies of the three females were taken to the KHMH where they were pronounced dead on arrival, Kurtis Belisle is presently at the KHMH receiving treatment for various injuries he received."
That police report lines up with the account of this eyewitness, he says that when he heard the crash he feared that his home was under attack.
He rushed outside as a protector but instead found himself helpless to save lives or even to assist the trapped and injured survivor:
Reuben Yam, Car Crashed In his Yard
"I just came in from my work spot and then I saw the breaker and I came running and I think the vehicle came straight by my house because I saw it knock first by the plum then on then on the mango, then on the next one, and then when I saw three women dead on the spot and the next man, the driver we had to cut it, cut it, with a pliers looking thing he came out."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So by the time you got to the vehicle, they were already dead?"
Reuben Yam, Car Crashed In his Yard
"Already dead, three women were dead on the spot, on the spot, the driver he didn't die."
Cherisse Halsall:
"How long did it take for the firefighters the ambulance to get here?"
Reuben Yam, Car Crashed In his Yard
"About half an hour, half an hour later. The driver still em, still em, doesn't have diagamos memory, when he came out they took him out and he lay down he didn't remember anything because the police asked who was the driver and he didn't remember anything he is just lost lost lost. They took him to the hospital."
Cherisse Halsall:
"How shocked were you to see this vehicle just ram into your yard?"
Reuben Yam, Car Crashed In his Yard
"I was frightened mammy, I frightened, I didn't my mind went fast."
And if the events of that night went fast for the eyewitness, for the family of the victims, they may have wished for time to stop and perhaps reverse itself so that they could hold unto their loved ones.
And for Levi Davis, what's most troubling is the knowledge that they left his game so quickly. This morning he told us about his last interaction with his 17 year old niece who made the effort to come out and see him play.
Levi Davis, Brother & Cousin Of the Deceased
"They say they would come watch my game, you get the sense so I mean straight I punch out with her and said hmph happy that you came to watch my game, you get the sense, and before the game even started they left and thing you get the sense."
Crash survivor Kurtis Belisle is stable and was able to check out of the hospital today.
