Independence Day is perhaps one of the most anticipated holidays in the calendar year for St Lucians. It’s a day away from the office, or away from school where some choose to embark on escapades with friends or family. For the most part, heading to destinations further away than usual hangout spots is highly favoured.
Like most other young people, 23-year-old Shane Mathurin headed out to meet with friends on Tuesday, February 22. He said goodbye to his family, promising to return soon. No one imagined it would be the last time they’d see him alive.
Shane’s sister Jackie remembers every detail from the moments before her younger brother left the house.
“He was ironing and asking me to iron for him. I said, “If you want me to iron you’re going to have to take me with you as well.” I wanted to go because we’re always together. He was like, “Don’t worry, I’m just going down the road and I’ll be back later.” I was sitting in the verandah when he was leaving and he touched me. He said, “Sis, I’m going to be back later, I’m just going down the road.”
With that her brother who she affectionately called “Baby Shane” headed out to Dennery. He left his Corinth home at about 6pm and by 10pm tragedy had already stuck. Shane had been driving his red Toyota Corolla in the Bexon area, headed to Castries, when he collided with a blue Mitsubishi omnibus, (12-seater) driven by a 55-year-old man while attempting to navigate a bend.
According to police reports the 12-seater, which was traveling in the opposite direction, overturned as a result of the collision and the driver who was the sole passenger, was later taken to the Victoria Hospital. He has since been discharged. Another vehicle, a Mazda pick-up that had been parked near the roadside was also involved in the collision and overturned upon impact. No one was inside the pick-up at the time.
Family members say Shane Mathurin died on the way to the Victoria Hospital.
“He was coming from The Look Out in Dennery with his friends,” Shane’s older sister Jackie said. “From what we heard, they were a little distance behind him and by the time they got to Bexon it had already happened. They saw him on the ground and the vehicle had smashed and everything.
“He was a very outgoing, extroverted individual,” she said, her face lighting up for a moment when speaking about Shane. “He helped manage the family business, Quality Car Rental. He loved his family and his friends, those were like the dearest to him, and that’s the biggest loss; in terms of knowing how much he cared about us . . . ” she expressed, then broke down in tears. Once she was composed she went on: “He loved life. What hurts the most to me is that he was at the prime of his life. He had so much more to live for.”
Shane’s family has yet to come to terms with his death and his three-year-old son, Aviel Alexander and two-year-old daughter Amelia Dorville are much too young to really understand the gravity of the situation.
“Normally on a morning on my way to work I’d always stop at my parents’ house in Corinth where Shane lived and say good morning to my mom,” his older bother Gillett told the STAR. “I’d give him a tap when I was leaving, and run into my vehicle. Then I’d go to work, so every morning he was expecting that,” he laughed. “So every morning I’d come and he’d be there waiting. Waiting for me to try that.”
Friends and family flowed in and out of the Mathurin home, and his parents and siblings tried their best to be strong, but the tears were always near.
“He had a minor accident on Christmas Day, which really prompted me to make the decision to stay in St Lucia,” said Jackie who only returned to the island in December 2010. “I made some decisions based on my family thinking this is the opportune time for me to be back here for them. My brothers Shane and Gillett influenced my decision to be back. I feel I didn’t get to spend enough time with Shane. I always saw him as our baby.”
She went on: “Every young person tries living on the edge sometimes; to them there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s like, hey, this
is life, I love life and I’m going to try everything. That was Shane. He loved driving. He lost a friend in a motorcycle accident this month. He and Hazel
Louis were friends; Hazel’s riding to wherever he’s destined to go and Shane’s driving.”
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