Dietrich

Garwin Davis, Sunday Gleaner Writer

Doreen Dietrich, widow of Clinton Dietrich, who died in a traffic collision yesterday, said she was awakened from her sleep by the loud sound of a car horn blowing at her gate.

"I thought it was my husband at first but quickly realised that it was someone who was trying to tell me something," she said. "The person told me that there was an accident and that my husband was dead. It just didn't seem real to me so I tried getting him on his cellphone. When I couldn't reach him, I then got dressed and went to see for myself what was happening. When I saw the crowd and his vehicle, I knew the truth then. I turned away as I couldn't bring myself to look at his body."

"From what we have seen so far, it would appear that he was speeding," ex-plained Venice McKenzie, an officer attached to the Mandeville Police Station. "Dietrich was thrown from his vehicle ,while the other four victims were burnt beyond recognition. The vehicles exploded at the point of impact. It was a serious collision."

More than soulmates

Mrs. Dietrich said she and her husband had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and were more than soulmates.

"He called me earlier to tell me that he was going to this set-up (dead yard) and if I wanted to come," she added. "He goes to a lot of these things and most of the time, I am there with him. I had just returned from Kingston and was feeling a little tired so I told him to go ahead without me."

Alrick Johnson, a family friend, said he played dominoes with Dietrich until around 2:15 a.m.

"He had just lost and his parting shot was that he would return tomorrow with a new partner so I better be ready," Johnson said. "He loved to play dominoes and he loved to go to set-ups. He was just a decent human being."

Damion Heslop, a young campaign aide, said he had been driving Dietrich on most of his campaign stops, but had been too tired to go to the set-up with him that evening.

"We can always ask the question what if," he said. "I am still shaken by the news that he is gone."

Condolences

The Dietrichs have two children, one daughter who resides overseas and a son who is a second-year medical student at the University of the West Indies.

"He has exams next week and all I could tell him is to go ahead and do it for daddy," said Mrs. Dietrich, who was very composed up to this point, while fighting back the tears. "I promised him I wouldn't do anything until after his examinations."

Mr. Dietrich has another daughter from a previous relationship.

Meanwhile, the top brass of the JLP, including Opposition Leader Bruce Golding visited with Mrs. Dietrich and also the families of the other victims yesterday to offer condolences. Deputy Leader and Opposition Spokesperson on Finance Audley Shaw said the party was saddened by the tragic loss of lives and grieved for all the families. He described the deceased as a very meticulous individual who was a people person.

"He won what was easily the strongest PNP division in NW Manchester - the John's Hall Division, in the 2003 local government election," Mr. Shaw said. "That was the kind of hard-working person he was. Imagine winning that division on a JLP ticket? That was the kind of grit and determination that we had come to expect from Mr. Dietrich. He will be sadly missed."

Mr. Dietrich contested the 1997 and 2002 General Election for the National Democratic Movement. He had been slated to go up against the sitting Member of Parliament for Manchester North West, Dean Peart.