Cyclist dies in crash

Extracted from the Nation News Paper

 

Tears flowed and emotions ran high early yesterday morning when popular cyclist Edmund “Don” Stoute of Holders Hill, St James, died on the spot after a vehicular accident outside Groves Plantation, near Six Roads, St Philip.

A 29-year-old St Philip woman was last night assisting police with investigations into the crash.
Police public relations officer Station Sergeant David Welch stated that police investigations and information received from the public allowed them “to develop a person of interest”, and the woman was subsequently taken in for questioning.

Stoute, 50, an avid rider in the Barbados Cycling Union’s Masters category, was out riding around 5:30 a.m. with teammate Jason Forde, when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Stoute’s bike was destroyed, and his body thrown more than 20 yards, ending up in the middle of the road, according to witnesses.
Police at the District “C” Station in St Philip told the DAILY NATION that the driver of the vehicle stopped ahead of the riders after the collision, then drove off.
“All we know from the other cyclist [Forde] is that the vehicle was white in colour. The rider was not able to give us a full description of the vehicle involved,” police said.

According to the Road Traffic Act, it is an offence to be involved in a vehicular accident and leave the scene without speaking to police.
A large crowd gathered at the scene after news spread of the early morning accident.

Forde, one of Barbados’ most renowned cyclists, broke down in tears. He was consoled by police officers who arrived to conduct investigations.
Minutes afterwards, family members and a number of Stoute’s cycling buddies arrived to give emotional support.
Stoute’s sons Christopher and Charles were sombre after looking at their dad’s riding helmet and cycling shoes strewn across the road, and his broken bike at the roadside near a bushy area.
His niece Nicole Peters also broke down.

President of the Barbados Cycling Union, Keith Yearwood, who visited the scene, said: “The sport of cycling has lost a true stalwart. Don had been in cycling for many years and made a serious contribution to the sport. This is still an early age to lose someone who had so much to offer. His loss is a significant one.”