By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE family of 46-year-old Frank Curtis, who was reportedly found burned a short distance from his vehicle in Eleuthera over the weekend, is calling for a thorough investigation into his death, insisting the circumstances surrounding the incident don’t add up.
Police reported the incident as a traffic fatality, saying officers discovered the scene while responding to reports of a burning vehicle on Queen’s Highway Saturday night.
Upon arrival, they found a green Jeep fully engulfed in flames in a bushy area, with a snapped utility pole nearby.
After extinguishing the fire, officers discovered a burned body a short distance away. A doctor later visited the scene and confirmed the victim’s death.
Curtis, a father of one, was later identified as the deceased.
His sister, Mary Sands, told The Tribune last night the family doesn’t believe it was simply a car accident.
She said her brother knew the road well, as he drove it daily to his job site less than two miles away.
She questioned how such a severe accident could have happened on a familiar route, believing he may have been chased.
“Knowing Frank, someone was chasing him and more than likely, he was trying to get away.”
She also found the wreckage scene unusual, noting the absence of brake marks on the road and that the passenger seat was missing.
The family is particularly troubled by the distance between his body and the vehicle, saying it raises further questions about what truly happened.
“We were there on the scene,” she said. “If I had a measuring tape, I could probably tell you how much feet he was found. It’s like five houses down from the jeep – that’s how far Frank was down.”
“He had a tool box and the tool box wasn’t even burned and the welding machine ain’t even burn so it’s like make it make sense.”
According to his grieving sister, Curtis’ death came just two months after he celebrated his birthday.
She described him as a loving, vibrant person who had a special bond with his nieces and nephews.
Ms Sands said his loss is an even heavier blow for the family, who are still mourning the murder of their younger brother in Bimini last year.
“For six months apart for two brothers, it’s a blow. It’s a pill we can’t stomach right now and we consider this as a homicide,” she added.
“Right now, we need answers because the whole Eleuthera is mourning because no one sees it as an accident,” she said.
Curtis, who was out on bail, had previously been charged with firearm offences, according to The Tribune’s records.
