Teen cousins die in motor vehicle crash

A family in Duhaney Pen, St Thomas, is mourning the loss of two cousins, Abrionna 'Abri' Rose, and Lamar 'Papito' Bantin, both 16, following an accident on Saturday.

The teens were travelling with three others around 3 a.m. on the Duhaney Pen main road when the driver lost control and crashed into a parked asphalt paving machine. Abrionna, a student at Happy Grove High School, was pronounced dead at the hospital, while Lamar succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. Donna Douglas Gayle, the teens' 64-year-old grandmother, described Abrionna as "a very nice person".

"She was very jovial, she laughed a lot. She did well in school. There was nothing bad about her nor Lamar. Both of them were very close," she said. Douglas Gayle added that Abrionna was a prefect and actively participated in school activities, earning the affection of her teachers.

"She has been with me since she was a baby, but it's just since her mother migrated three years ago that I've had her full-time," she shared, tears welling in her eyes. Douglas Gayle said the teens attended a cookout to support a close family friend. She had allowed them to go, expecting them to return on time. However, a miscommunication with their ride left them stranded, and they ended up staying at an after-party where another attendee had promised to drop them home.

THE STAR visited the family's home, where both teens were described as responsible, educationally driven, and goal-oriented.

"The both of them were the eldest. I have six grandchildren, and those two were my hands and feet because I am sickly and depend on them a lot to help me run the shop," Douglas Gayle said. Anneka Richards, Lamar's mother, is struggling to cope with the loss.

"Losing my niece and my son is unimaginable. Right now, I have a bath pan of clothes sitting down to wash, and I have a machine in the house," she tearfully shared. Richards described Abrionna and Lamar as "great loving kids" who were always at home.

"Abri used her book as an excuse all the time, and Lamar was always playing games, but they always did what they were supposed to," she said. Abrionna sent a voice message to her mother shortly before the accident expressing her commitment to settling down for CXC. Lamar, a student at the St Thomas Technical High School, was also committed to school. He often took care of his younger sisters and helped with grocery shopping and household chores. He was described by Richards as a reliable and responsible son despite him spending a lot of time gaming.

"I don't have to worry because he had it locked. His sisters asked me who was going to take care of them now, and I just had to tell them that when we reach that bridge, we will cross it," she said. She was shocked at the news of the accident, as she thought the teens had changed their minds about going to the event due to bad weather.

"I had a pain in my stomach stabbing me, and I started to pray to God to cover them and protect them. I prayed and prayed, but I guess He never heard me. He took them, so now I'm asking Him for the strength," she said.

Doctors had stabilised Lamar but were unable to save him due to a head injury and a collapsed lung. Richards said that she has been unable to sleep or eat since the tragedy and was devastated not to have been able to say goodbye to the teens.

"I wanted to see him while he was still warm but they moved him immediately," she said.