- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 22/Jul 19:18

Debe man killed crossing Solomon Hochoy Highway

Clyde Boodoo, 52, of Gandhi Village, Debe was killed on the night of July 21, after he was struck by a car while crossing the Solomon Hochoy Highway near his home. Police said Boodoo was crossing the highway near the Debe overpass, in an area where the streetlights were not working when he was struck by a Toyota Aqua driven by a 43-year-old Penal woman on the southbound lane. Boodoo was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital. Boodoo’s cousin, who used to take care of him and did not want her name published, told reporters there was a 95 per cent chance he was intoxicated at the time of the accident. She said Boodoo, who recently got a job as a truck driver after coming out of rehab, would often spend his evenings getting intoxicated and would use the highway as a shortcut to get home. She described Boodoo as once being an upstanding man who turned to drugs and alcohol after struggling with depression and had been in and out of rehab for a few years. She said he was an intelligent man with a diploma in computer technology and lived in Montreal, Canada, for about 20 years. While there, she said he was an artist and club manager but moved back to Trinidad after getting divorced. She believed his depression was also caused by the early loss of his mother and a strained relationship with his father. She said his depressive episodes also had him suicidal, with his last attempt being in September, which is when she checked him into rehab. It’s why she said she would not be surprised if he intentionally stepped in front of the car. Boodoo’s cousin said while he had stopped using hard drugs about two years ago, he still relied on alcohol. She said this wasn’t his first time being struck by a vehicle. About five years ago, she said, he was run over by a truck while sleeping off a night of drinking on the road and had to be hospitalised for broken bones. Given these experiences, she said she did not blame the driver for the accident. In fact, she called for improved lighting and better signage in the area. In 2022, residents called for better lighting and protection measures in the face of recurring accidents at the nearby roundabout. The Ministry of Works and Transport installed lights and signage following these calls but the relative believes more could be done. The autopsy is expected to be conducted on July 23, following which the relatives would host a funeral. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or struggling emotionally, please call Lifeline (24-hour hotline) at 800-5588, 866-5433, or 220-3636. In case of an emergency or attempted suicide, call 990, 811 or 999. The post Debe man killed crossing Solomon Hochoy Highway appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.