A dramatic photo accompanied a front-page story in the 28 Feb. 1974 Cayman Compass: ‘Three Killed in Car-Truck Collision’ about the ‘Worst Accident In Cayman History’. A car and a truck towing another car collided head-on near Breakers. In addition to the three fatalities, the 22-year-old driver of the car, a Mustang convertible, was hospitalised in “extremely critical” condition, with the man in the towed car escaping with only minor cuts to his face. The accident scene was described as looking “like a battlefield”.
Below that article was a much lighter story on the annual agriculture show being a ‘resounding success’. The event attracted “people from all parts of the island, including several tourists, many of whom arrived on bicycles”. It’s hard to imagine a road full of cyclists these days, with the special traffic and parking arrangements that need to be made to accommodate the stream of cars heading to the annual show. Among the many sights the visitors enjoyed in 1974 was a massive wheel comprising an impressive array of vegetables.
A photo on page 3 depicted the Layman Scott family with their new Toyota Corona 1800 Deluxe, “the very first of a new series to arrive in Cayman”. The car was described as “a supremely luxurious family sedan that every member of the family will enjoy”. Attlee Bodden, general manager of Cayman Economy Cars, at which the Corona was being sold, was also shown pointing out various features of the new car.
And, finally, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit bought a new airplane, shown on the back page of the newspaper. The MRCU would exclusively use the new plane, which was “specially designed for spraying” and could carry enough fuel for three hours of flying time.
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