TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2024
Team Herald
CALANGUTE: Distraught residents of Nagoa-Arpora, on Friday, held a candlelight night vigil on the road near Holy Trinity Church, where a local had died following an accident last week. The vigil was held to create awareness about road safety measures and driving cautiously.
“We have gathered to observe a night vigil to create awareness among our villagers and public to observe road safety and to drive cautiously. We have to take extra safety measures because our village is no longer laidback. There are so many new resorts and tourists and a lot of accidents are taking place. Many of our roads are death traps,” residents said.
On Friday, March 17, at around 7.45 am, John Trinidade D’Souza, 53, a resident of Rauta Waddo, Nagoa, died after the scooter which he was riding was hit by a car driven by a tourist from Gujarat, near Holy Trinity Church, close to the Nagoa Dream Circle junction.
He was proceeding to drop his children at St Joseph High School, Arpora, when the tragic incident took place. His two minor children fell on the road and sustained injuries. D’Souza succumbed to his injuries on the way to the District Hospital, Mapusa. The driver of the car Paushak J Shah, a resident of Vadodara, Gujarat, has been arrested and released.
The deceased was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, residents said. “Unfortunately he was not wearing a helmet. Make sure to wear a helmet even for a short distance,” residents cautioned.
They also urged the authorities to raise the height of the speed breakers at the spot as tourists tend to speed up. “We don’t want this road to be a Formula 1 racing track,” they said.
They also urged members of the public to help victims of accidents. “People are scared to help accident victims because they fear of police harassment. They should know there will be no harassment from police, no criminal or civil liability and their identity will not be disclosed,” activists from an NGO said.
