(Trinidad Express) Acting Chief Justice Wendell Kangaloo was listed in a critical condition after surgery at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex yesterday.
Kangaloo was involved in a two-vehicle smash-up along the Churchill- Roosevelt Highway shortly after 5.30 a.m. on his way to see his horses exercise at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.
Kangaloo, who in the rear seat of the black Toyota Prado SUV, driven by a police officer, suffered an injury to the left side of his head, which caused a haematoma (blood clot or collecting of blood) in his head, which needed to be drained, sources close to the family said.
Doctors said the haematoma could have expanded and cause compression to the spinal cord and would have affected the cardiac centre, which controls respiration. The operation procedure lasted about two hours, the Express learnt.
Police said Kangaloo was not wearing a seatbelt and his body was flung violently forward upon impact.
Kangaloo, a former president of the Arima Race Club (ARC) and race horse owner, has not been seen at gallops for the past three weeks because of his hectic work schedule, sources close to the judge said.
His trainer Terrence Thomas, who was waiting on Kangaloo at Santa Rosa, related the events to the Express. “He is usually very prompt when he is coming to see his horses work.
“If he says he is there for six, he will be ten or five minutes before that time, and would call me when he is driving into the (Santa Rosa Park) car park. When it was 6.02 a.m., and I did not see him, I called his phone and he did not answer, but we have an understanding when I hang up he will call me back.”
“However, he didn’t call back, and I got worried,” Thomas said.
“Van driver Robbie, who has a sister who is a lawyer and lives near to where the accident happened, called him and told him that Mr Kangaloo’s vehicle was involved in a bad accident.”
Yesterday Santa Rosa Park was abuzz when horsemen learnt that Kangaloo was involved in an accident, and all were praying for the Acting Chief Justice’s speedy recovery.
