'I’M COMPLETELY BROKEN'
Errol Anderson devastated after losing 2 daughters, 3 grandchildren in fiery US collision
Published:Thursday | June 26, 2025 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
What began as a regular business day for Errol Anderson last Saturday morphed into a nightmare from which he has yet to awaken.
Anderson, who lives in Caymanas Estates in Portmore, St Catherine, had just returned home from Kingston, where he operates a small merchant business, when he was met by a relative standing in the street outside his home.
What came next shattered his world.
“He said to me, ‘Andrew, you baby dem gone,’ and I asked him what he mean, ‘Mi baby dem gone?’” Anderson recalled in a broken voice.
“It was then he told me what had happened. It hit me like a bomb, and I passed out in the middle of the road.”
The accident in Osceola, Florida, in the United States claimed the lives of his two daughters – 28-year-old Andrea Anderson and 26-year-old Kirora Anderson – and his three grandchildren, ages three years, 10 months, and four months. Another woman – a family friend whose relatives are the Andersons’ neighbours – also died in the crash.
“My first and second generation gone. I will never come to understand why. I am so confused right now,” he said on Wednesday, eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t eat. It was last night (Tuesday) I got some rest since Saturday. I am completely broken.”
Anderson said his daughters migrated to the United States in 2013 to join their mother. He last saw Kirora last year, but hadn’t seen Andrea in 12 years. He often connected with his grandchildren via video calls.
“I would like to visit her (his wife) and help with plans for my grandchildren burial, but I don’t have a visa,” he said. “I’m hoping the Government will assist.”
Florida Highway Patrol confirmed the accident occurred around 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, when the SUV the family was travelling in attempted to pass a line of vehicles and collided with a semitruck. The SUV burst into flames, killing all six occupants on the scene.
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness visited Anderson on Wednesday and offered condolences, pledging government support.
“If there is anything the Government can do to assist, I will be willing to offer help,” Holness told him.
A candlelight vigil held by neighbours on Tuesday night brought Anderson a measure of comfort.
“This was the first time I ate something and got a night’s rest,” he said quietly. “God, why this have to happen to me?”