One dead, 14 injured in bus crash
Motorists urged to exercise greater care on nation’s roads
Published:Friday | June 14, 2024 | 12:07 AMAshley Anguin/Gleaner Writer
A mangled minibus, half-eaten food scattered on the ground, and a tree bent from the force of the impact painted a grim picture in the aftermath of the tragic accident that claimed one life along the Font Hill main road in St Elizabeth early Thursday morning.
The deceased man, who was the driver of the public passenger vehicle, has been identified as Junior Ramsey of Fort William in Westmoreland.
Fourteen of the 18 passengers were left injured after the crash, which occurred about 3 a.m. as the bus was en route from Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, to Kingston.
According to reports, Ramsey lost control of the Toyota Hiace bus, which slammed into the tree and went about 10 feet upward before crashing to the ground and rolling over several times.
Ramsey and the injured passengers were taken to the Black River Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A female passenger, who is said to be seriously injured, was to undergo surgery yesterday afternoon.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie, who heads the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, visited the scene and emphasised the need for drivers to obey the rules of the road.
“We are appealing to road users, you need to be careful on the road, especially public passenger drivers, who have to transport so many people on a daily basis,” McKenzie urged.
He noted that so far this year, fewer people have died on the roads from accidents when compared with the corresponding period in 2023, but he noted that the carnage on the nation’s roadways is appalling.
“We are very happy that the number that have died in the parish is lower than last year. ... However, it has been 14 lives that have been lost. We cannot afford to continue this level of carnage on our roadways. We have been losing persons at a fast rate and are up to approximately 180 persons on the road who have died,” McKenzie said.
Superintendent Coleridge Minto, who heads the St Elizabeth Police Division, noted that the Font Hill main road was prone to accidents.
“The Font Hill main road is one of the corridors which we appeal to motorists to use with caution. We have had a number of serious accidents along this road,” Minto said in a video interview posted on social media.
Last September, 31-year-old Danielle Blake, a teacher at the Savanna-la-Mar Primary School in Westmoreland, was killed and seven others, including two Americans, were hospitalised in serious condition following a motor vehicle crash in that same area.
And in 2021, a Westmoreland woman was killed in a motor vehicle crash along the Font Hill Main Road when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree.