A Mitsubishi carrying tourists got into an accident this afternoon that took the life of the driver, 61-year-old Sydney Collins. Collins was a tour guide for over two decades, but today, his vehicle suffered a malfunction, causing it to crash, and leaving his family devastated. Courtney Menzies was at the scene on the George Price Highway today and has this story.
61-year-old Sydney Collins was driving his vehicle, shuttling tourists to get back to their cruise ship, when he flipped several times. While none of the tourists were badly injured, Collins lost his life.
Today his family said that when they'd heard that there had been an accident, they didn't realize it was him at first. And when they saw the body, it was unrecognizable.
Voice of: Sheresia Reneau, Common-Law Wife
"I started to call his phone about 25 times, but nobody answered, up to know, still calling the phone, no reply, so my sister called me and asked if I got the news, so I told her yes. I was on my way to the hospital, reaching the hospital, everybody knows Sydney Collins, Indian, Chief, he's a nice man, he has his bad ways, but besides that, he's nice, he's all for his kids and his grandkids. This hurt us because we lost a good person because he helps everybody, once you're doing back, Collins is the man you can call on. He won't watch you suffering, he looks out for everybody. But the state I saw him in, I'm still left devastated, I want to know how his accident happened and he died and nothing happened to the tourists, half of his face tore off."
"I know Mr Collins about 24 years ago, I have two kids for him, Calisha and Alfred, my two babies are devastated, they're crying, they can't even hold up."
And Reneau explained that Collins could always be seen out at Tourist Village on ship days.
Voice of: Sheresia Reneau, Common-Law Wife
"He likes to rail up, when things don't go his way, he rail up. First thing he wants to know, what is going on in this house? So you aren't going to cook then? Just walk about? But everybody know Indian, Indian is a nice man, everybody know that, even the men at tourist village, they took away his license but he still goes out there to do his hustling but one thing with he, every ship day he will hustle, not a day will pass without him getting a tourist."
He leaves behind two kids.
Traffic was blocked for hours and for miles this afternoon as a consequence of the accident.
