Returning home from the Vybz Kartel show, a teenager was crushed to death by a truck, from which he had just disembarked at Lombard Street early yesterday morning.
Dead is 18-year-old Shawn Austin of Lot 6 Ketley and Drysdale streets, Charlestown. He was crushed to death by the canter truck on which he had hitched a ride back to the city. The incident occurred at about 3 am. Hours earlier Austin had gone to the show, which was held at the National Stadium at Providence.
His aunt, June Collins told Stabroek News that the family received the news at about 3:30 am yesterday.
Austin, along with some friends had hitched a ride on the truck. She said that one of the friends told her that Austin was in the process of disembarking the vehicle at Lombard Street when the incident occurred. Collins said that her nephew was coming down the side of the vehicle, which was still moving, when his hand slipped and he fell, with one of his legs going between the wheels of the vehicle. The wheels rolled over him.
“The wheel circle he like a ball”, she stated. The persons still in the tray of the canter alerted the driver to the incident and the vehicle stopped about 50 feet away, relatives said.
One relative related that Austin’s feet and arms were broken and his head was crushed.
The canter took Austin to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The driver was taken into police custody but released on bail yesterday morning. Austin did odd jobs, relatives said. He is survived by his mother and two sisters.