Do Not Stop When Projectiles Are Thrown at Your Moving Vehicle

On May 25, 2026, a vehicle carrying Jeremiah Santoo and his relatives was pelted with bottles in the Manuel Congo area of Arima, forcing the driver to stop. When the occupants exited the vehicle to confront the group, a man in the group produced a single-barrel firearm and shot Santoo in the upper back and right leg before the victims managed to drive to Arima Hospital. The projectile attack was the mechanism to force a stop — stopping is what the attackers needed, because it neutralised the vehicle as an escape route and brought the occupants into the attackers’ space on foot. This type of ambush-by-forced-stop is designed to override the natural instinct to investigate or retaliate, placing the victim at maximum vulnerability the moment they open a door. The correct response at every stage is to maintain or accelerate speed, and to never exit.

Steps to follow:

• If objects are thrown at your vehicle from a roadside group, do not stop — accelerate or manoeuvre away from the source and drive to the nearest police station, hospital, or populated destination.
• Do not exit the vehicle to confront anyone who has thrown objects at your car regardless of how severe the damage appears — exiting removes your most important protective barrier.
• If your windscreen is cracked or a window broken, the vehicle is still driveable in most cases; prioritise distance from the threat over assessing damage.
• Brief all passengers before travelling through unfamiliar areas at night: if the vehicle is struck by a hostile group, no one opens a door or exits until you have reached a safe location.
• If you cannot drive away and must stop, lock all doors, keep windows up, and call 999 immediately — do not engage with anyone outside the vehicle.
• If you or a passenger is injured, drive directly to the nearest hospital or police post rather than waiting at the scene where the attackers remain present.