Caribbean Carnival to review parade safety following teen’s death on Saturday
From Globalpost
TORONTO – Organizers of Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival say they will scrutinize parade safety in their annual review, following the death of a young man on the weekend.
“We had a three-hour meeting this morning,” said organizer Chris Alexander on Monday.
Alexander said festival personnel will undertake an extensive review of the three-week carnival, as is standard every year.
But he said added safety measures on the parade route — such as barriers or side guards on the floats — will be looked at seriously.
The discussion comes amid a police investigation into the death of an 18-year-old man at the parade.
Toronto police said Rueshad Grant was standing beside a parade float on Saturday night when he was run over by the vehicle.
Officials examined a video posted online that appears to show the immediate aftermath of the incident, with spectators yelling for the float to stop as it slowly starts moving after a brief pause.
Grant was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Parade organizers issued a statement expressing their “heartfelt sympathies” to those who knew the young man.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss,” spokeswoman Denise Herrera-Jackson said in a statement.
“The Toronto police are conducting a full and thorough investigation and we will assist them in any way we can.”
Alexander echoed the sentiments, adding that he wants to reach out to Grant’s family.
“We grieve with the family,” he said.
He added that the tragic accident isn’t representative of the festival which is about “fun and family” and a celebration of Caribbean culture.
Copyright 2013 Canadian Press.
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Related story:
‘I’m in so much pain’: Family devastated by teenage son’s tragic death at Toronto Caribbean Carnival
By Alexandra Bosanac From National Post
While Toronto police continue to probe how an 18-year-old Mississauga man became pinned underneath a flatbed truck during the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival, killing him, the parents of Rueshad Grant took to social media to express their grief.
“On October 20, 1994 at 3 a.m. in the morning I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy the most precious gift that any woman or mother can receive from God,” reads a Facebook message from Shaundel Ramessar, Mr. Grant’s mother. “God decided that he will take his angel back. There’s no word, it’s like I’m frozen into a brick of ice.”
“I’m in so much pain it’s unbearable, I can’t believe my youth is gone,” wrote Robert Prodiig Grant, the victim’s father. “I love my family and rather it was me than any one of my kids. If you have children hold on to them tight and never let go.”
PHOTO: Rueshad Grant, left, and his sister, Tamika. It is alleged that Rueshad died during the Caribana parade on Saturday.
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See iNews Cayman story published August 5th 2013 “Toronto man killed in Carnival float accident identified” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/08/toronto-man-killed-in-carnival-float-accident-identified/
