A tight-knit Saint Lucian community is grappling with senseless loss after a tragic Sunday road accident claimed the life of 30-year-old Andrez “Sackey” Forde, a beloved resident of Marchand who family members describe as the steady backbone of their household.
Forde lost his life when the vehicle he was operating veered off the roadway and plummeted over a steep precipice at Au Ponche in Anse La Raye. A female passenger traveling with him survived the catastrophic crash but sustained critical multiple injuries; as of the latest updates, she remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The day following the tragedy, Forde’s father Andre Forde visited the crash site, overcome with grief as he reflected on the final hours he shared with his son. Andre shared that his son had left the family home in the early hours of Sunday morning, letting his father know he was heading out before a final brief phone conversation that would prove to be one of their last. “He called… to tell me, ‘Daddy, the key for the Creta is on the dresser’,” Andre recounted.
Andre remembered his son as a respectful, compassionate young man who consistently prioritized the well-being of his parents. “My son was very nice to me,” he said. “My son was no bad person.” When asked what he would grieve most, the heartbroken father paused before sharing that the pair shared an unusually close bond. “Being there. We were like two brothers. He always talked to me… ‘Daddy, don’t worry, everything is safe, everything is alright. I will help you. You shouldn’t be working again’.”
Andre explained that he was unable to bring himself to visit the crash site immediately after receiving the devastating news, only making the trip the following day. When he arrived at the hospital to check on his son, law enforcement officers confirmed that Andrez had already succumbed to his injuries. “He told me there he had no pulse, so he was already dead,” he said quietly.
Andre also shared details of the passenger’s condition, confirming the woman had suffered broken legs and a broken arm in the fall. The loss has hit the entire family extraordinarily hard, with Forde’s mother unable to process the shock of her son’s death. “My wife… she fainted,” Andre said, adding that extended relatives have gathered at the home to support her through the initial stages of grief.
Andrez Forde is survived by his young daughter, who will now grow up without her devoted father. Hadassa, another of Andrez’s relatives, recalled the disorienting moment she learned of his passing. She said she woke to panicked voices in her home before realizing a video of the crash was circulating in a local family group chat. Initially too anxious to open the messages, she eventually looked at the footage and confirmed her relative’s identity. She added that the entire family is still struggling to accept that the sudden tragedy has occurred.
Local law enforcement authorities have confirmed that the investigation into the circumstances of the fatal crash is still ongoing, with no further details released to the public as of yet. In the days since the accident, family and loved ones have gathered at the crash site to leave a small memorial in Andrez’s honor, honoring the life of the caring man gone far too soon.