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Michael Anthony, the father of 35-year-old Roderick Anthony, who died in a vehicular accident during the early morning hours on Thursday, is appealing to drivers to be careful on the road.

Speaking with Newsday on Thursday, Anthony made an appeal to drivers after his son became Tobago's second road fatality for 2020.

“Drivers must take their time on the road; they must not speed because when you speed you can lose control and run into anything. I want to tell drivers to stop speeding on the roadway because if the road is wet and you pick up a skid, you would lose control.”

According to information reaching Newsday, around 1.22 am 35-year-old Roderick a former national youth footballer, was the front-seat passenger in a silver Honda Civic driven by 32-year-old Keith Forde.

Reports said the two were travelling west along the Auchenscheoch-Buccoo Road. Near Hakim Autos, Forde lost control of the car and it veered right and hit a wall on the northern side of the road.

Roderick, of Chance Street, Buccoo, who also lived at Mc Donnell Street in Curepe, Trinidad, was thrown from the car and landed on the northern side of the road. He died of head injuries.

The car came to a stop on the southern side of the road with major damage.

Forde had a laceration to his head and minor injuries to his limbs. He was taken to the Scarborough General Hospital, where he remains warded.

Ag Cpl Collis Smith is continuing enquiries.

Roderick, a former right-side midfielder, captained the T&T team for the under-17 World Cup which was hosted in T&T in 2001.

Reports suggest he was returning home after attending the wake for another footballer, 20-year-old Taury Ramsey, in Mt St George. Ramsey was Tobago's first road fatality for 2020. He died on New Year's Day.

The 85-year-old Anthony said he was asleep when he got the news of the crash just around 4.30am.

“I was in bed and one of my sons living next door came to me saying, 'Daddy, I hear they say you die.' I said, 'No, well look I am here.' Afterwards he came back and he tell me is Roderick that died in a car crash up the road.”

Anthony said his son was a friendly guy who loved football.

He said while he is able to control his grief, it still hurts.

“Really, I’m feeling very sad because I miss him.

“I went to the scene afterwards and I saw where the car crash, but he had already gone."

He said he last saw Roderick two weeks ago.

“Roderick lives in Trinidad and two weeks ago he went to St Vincent. He came back from St Vincent, came in Trinidad and only came up to Tobago on Wednesday.

“The two of them (Roderick and Keith Forde) is (sic) two very good friends. When Roderick came in on Wednesday night, Keith picked him up at the airport, took him home to organise to go to a wake and they left together, so I really didn’t see him. The next thing I heard was of his death.”


SOURCE: T&T Newsday