Sixteen‑Year‑Old Alex Griffith Dies in Tragic Bicycle Accident

A tragic accident in Ladyville has left a family, and an entire school community, devastated tonight. Sixteen‑year‑old Alex Griffith, a second‑form student at Sadie Vernon High School, lost his life on Thursday afternoon when he fell from his bicycle and was struck by a Tillett’s bus along the Phillip Goldson Highway. The crash happened near an active roadwork zone, and police have launched a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A tragic accident in Ladyville has claimed the life of a sixteen‑year‑old high school student. On Thursday afternoon, Alex Griffith was riding his bicycle along the Phillip Goldson Highway when he suddenly lost control. At that same moment, a Tillett’s bus was approaching, and the driver was unable to avoid hitting him.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head, National Crime Investigation Branch

“Information is that this person was riding a bicycle when he lost control. He fell on the street and he was ran over by Tillett Bus being driven by Jonathon Eck. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”

 

An eyewitness who spoke with News Five says he watched the moment Alex Griffith’s bicycle gave out. He told us the back wheel suddenly swung out into the highway, right into the path of the oncoming bus. The bus reportedly clipped the wheel first, and in an instant, both Griffith and his bike were pulled underneath. By the time the driver managed to stop, the sixteen‑year‑old had suffered fatal injuries.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“A thorough investigation will be conducted. The file will be forwarded to the DPP and we will await the directives. A full investigation will be carried out.”

 

Road work is underway in the area where the accident happened, and tonight it raises even more concern about safety along that stretch of highway. Sixteen‑year‑old Alex Griffith was a second‑form student at Sadie Vernon High School, though administrators say he hadn’t been attending classes for the past three months. Despite that, his homeroom teacher, Geraldine Jones, remembers him as a young man full of potential, someone she believed could still turn things around.

 

Geraldine Jones, Teacher, Sadie Vernon High School

“First off I would like to say on behalf of my homeroom class and all of Sadie Vernon’s school body we would like to extend a heartfelt condolence to the family and to this close friends. It is so unfortunate to have lost Alex in the way he had his final moments. Like I told my class this morning, this is why we always refer to school as a safety net for them. Because, given the time of his death, he would have been here at school.”

 

Jones says it is regrettable that Griffith was not attending school, because it is likely that he would have still been on the compound at the time the incident occurred.

 

Geraldine Jones

“I could have seen that he was a bright child and filled with potential. This would have been his second year here with us, so from last year to now they certainly would have gotten familiar with him.”

 

Tonight, authorities are conducting a thorough investigation. Their findings will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution for her to determine if anyone will be held responsible for Griffith’s death. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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