MONTEGO BAY — One of the last memories that Earl McGibbon has of his 24 year-old son Richard is of him tooting his horn as they passed each other along the road to Falmouth on Monday. A few hours later, Richard was dead.

He died from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident along the Long Bay road near Liliput in St James. His 21 year-old passenger, Tiola Davis received life-threatening injuries to her legs, hands, head and chest and was later airlifted to the Kingston Public Hospital.

Earlier that day Richard, a chef at the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall Hotel, had used his day-off to cook dinner for his three younger brothers, his mom and dad. The close knit family shared a home at Stewart’s Castle in Duncans, Trelawny.

On Monday Richard, full of life, made a trip to the bank for his father.

“That’s the last I saw him because I left to see the doctor and got held up. He came in at four o’ clock and I didn’t leave the doctor till about eight. I passed him coming in,” his father told the Observer as he stood beside the mangled wreck of the car his son was driving.

Two movie tickets for Monday night were found in the car — a grey 1994 Suzuki Swift owned by Richard’s brother Bryan — and it has been assumed that Richard and his friend were on their way back home after a night at the cinema.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 54 year-old McGibbon, his brother, Keith and Keith’s wife Debbie were at the Barrett Town Police Station, awaiting the arrival of a police officer to ensure that Richard’s name got on a list of bodies slated for post-mortem next Thursday. It is important to get on the list so that they can consider a Saturday funeral.

These are the thoughts that now occupy Earl McGibbon’s mind as he struggles to come to grips with his loss.

“I couldn’t believe it (when I heard that Richard was dead). I was appalled, distraught because he even cooked dinner for us that day,” the grief-stricken but dignified father said.

According to the police report, Richard lost control of the car and crashed into a tree on his left side of the road shortly before 12 midnight. But his father said that based on statements from witnesses, it appeared that his son had swerved to avoid a truck, hit a muddy embankment, skidded out of control and smashed into the tree.

“Only Richard could probably tell what happen now, I don’t know if the trailer touch him or he saw the trailer shifting over on him. He went head-on into the guango tree because you can see a piece of the guango here (in the car engine). It tear off the whole of the bark of the tree,” he said as he pointed to the spot.

According to McGibbon, his son has had his driver’s licence for the last six years and he has always been a very careful driver.