NWA sets record straight: St Elizabeth man did not drown in pothole

The National Works Agency (NWA) has refuted claims that a St Elizabeth man died from drowning in a large water-filled pothole in Watchwell in the parish in October.

According to the NWA's Communication Manager, Stephen Shaw, a post-mortem examination revealed that 58-year-old Venroy 'Bigga' Blackwood's death was not caused by drowning in the pothole.

At the time of the incident, family members expressed the belief that Blackwood fell face down in the pothole and may have drowned because of his purported intoxicated state.

Shaw addressed the incident at the media launch for the Road Network Safety Assessment Project at the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport in Kingston on Thursday.

"Because of the advent of social media, persons sometimes use social media to misinform individuals, and sometimes blow things out of proportion," he said.

Shaw added that, "I speak specifically, for example, to the issue that was raised after the death of a gentleman in St Elizabeth, where it was said that he drowned in a pothole.

"It was not true, because the subsequent post-mortem report reflected that he did not die from drowning in any pothole, but the fact is, there was a pothole on the road," Shaw explained.

While he did not disclose the official cause of Blackwood's death, he acknowledged the challenges that are posed by potholes across the country.

A local media entity reported that the post-mortem revealed that Blackwood died as a result of a broken neck.

Reports at the time said Blackwood's body was seen lying face down in the pothole at about 10pm on Friday, October 4. His bicycle was near the body.

According to his family members, the pothole was huge, and it was filled with water, which they said was caused by a leaking pipe on the roadway.

Blackwood was a blockmaker who resided in Ridge Pen district in the parish.

Meanwhile, Shaw has assured that the Government is taking steps to address the issue by rolling out various road rehabilitation programmes nationally.