Harbour Road crash renews calls for discussion on road safety
A crash on Harbour Road that resulted in a car veering into the ocean at the weekend has renewed concerns about road safety.
Just before noon on Saturday, a vehicle crashed through a wall and landed in the harbour near the junction with Belmont Road in Warwick.
Police say it appears that a car driven in the westbound lane of Harbour Road crossed into the opposite lane and struck a wall, ending up in the water below.
The cause of the crash has not been confirmed, but the incident has renewed calls from residents for improved safety along that stretch of road.
David LaHuta, a journalist who has lived on Harbour Road for eight years, praised his neighbour, Darren Mills, for his swift and heroic actions in coordinating the rescue of the occupants – a 38-year-old female driver and two children.
Mr LaHuta said: “He’s a guest worker, a visitor in our country, and he took it upon himself to jump into the water and save their lives. I have to say, not all heroes wear capes, and he’s one of them.”
“We caught up that day to talk about his heroism, but moreover, it was a way to start a conversation about road safety in Bermuda and how dangerous this stretch of road truly is, and ways we could do better to protect our motorists here.”
Photograph of Darren Mills. Image supplied.
Mr Mills, a plumber from South Africa, told Bermuda Broadcasting that he was the first on the scene and acted without hesitation.
“Thinking quick and acting fast saves lives,” Mr Mills said.
He explained that following the crash, he heard people screaming that they couldn’t swim, and his first thought was to get to the vehicle and bring the occupants to safety at a nearby dock.
He flagged down a car to call 911 before jumping into the water to reach the car, focusing on keeping the passengers calm and making sure they stayed above water until more help arrived.
Mr Mills said the car was filling up quickly with water and that the situation could have been different if the tide had been higher and moving faster, or if the dock hadn’t been there.
When others came to assist – including Ms Dyer, Ms Butterfield, and other gentlemen – he said they all worked together to pull the passengers out of the vehicle through the window.
Mr Mills expressed gratitude that he was in a position, along with others, to help the passengers, underscoring that quick thinking, calm action, and teamwork made all the difference.
“We all saved these people… everybody is a hero,” said Mr Mills.
Police also commended the actions of those who came to the aid of the driver and children involved.
Following the crash, police confirmed that all occupants were accounted for and taken to hospital for medical assessments and later discharged the same day.
Image credit: David LaHuta
Traffic was diverted away from the area for around three hours, while the scene was processed – which included the damaged car being removed from the sea by crane and then towed away – as well as the attendance of Works & Engineering crew for wall/roadway remediation efforts.
Area resident Mr LaHuta said he hopes the incident will spark much-needed discussion around road safety across the island.
“I feel like we see another terrible accident on this stretch of road every month,” said Mr LaHuta. “Something needs to change – whether that’s changing directional patterns for rush hours, making it eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening – that could help. Adding rumble strips or speed bumps could also help. But something really needs to be done, because there are so many dangerous and horrific accidents that happen on this road. If more police need to be out monitoring driver speed, that’s important too. And really, we need to encourage all motorists around the island to slow down … that has to be the message.”
Police say inquiries continue regarding the circumstances of the collision and any witnesses are encouraged to contact BPS Constable Jameelah Sabir by calling 211or e-mailing jsabir@bps.bm.
