Reducing Exposure to Vehicle-Based Attacks When Walking at Night

Pedestrians walking alone at night in Trinidad face a distinct threat from occupants of slow-moving or stationary vehicles who select targets opportunistically — the target is on foot, alone, and far from any location that would prompt an immediate response. In San Fernando in March 2026, Brandon De Vlugt, 29, was attacked at 12:25 AM on Charles Street by three men in a silver Toyota who struck him repeatedly with a metal object, causing multiple chop wounds, fractures to both hands, hip, skull, and spinal cord, and a brain haemorrhage. He survived by escaping and hiding under a tarpaulin on a nearby street, where police found him bleeding nearly two hours later. The attackers were mobile and left immediately after the assault. The attack was not preceded by any documented confrontation — he was targeted while walking alone in the early hours. The pairing of a slow-moving vehicle with a lone pedestrian on a quiet street is the selection signal: if a vehicle slows or stops near you at night without an obvious reason, that is the moment to change your direction and increase your distance from the road immediately.

Steps to follow:

• Avoid walking alone after midnight in areas with low foot traffic; if you must, stay on well-lit roads that have consistent pedestrian activity rather than cutting through quieter side streets.
• Walk facing oncoming traffic where possible so that approaching vehicles are visible to you; this also makes it harder for a vehicle to pull alongside you undetected from behind.
• If a vehicle slows, stops near you, or appears to be pacing you, do not continue walking in the same direction — cross the road, enter a nearby lit business or residence, or move toward any group of people; put distance and obstacles between yourself and the vehicle.
• Keep a phone accessible and charged when walking at night; if you feel threatened, call someone immediately and say your location aloud so it is recorded, even if you cannot stay on the call.
• Tell someone your route and expected arrival time when travelling on foot at night; a missed arrival triggers a response that can reduce the time before help is sought.
• If you are attacked, prioritise escape over confrontation — move toward light, noise, and people as fast as possible, and shout to attract attention; the goal is to get into a location where the attackers cannot operate unobserved.