Five killed in highway crash

A motor vehicle crash along the PJ Patterson Highway, part of Highway 2000 in St Catherine, yesterday has resulted in the death of five persons and the injuring of 14 others.

Up to press time, the police had yet to identify the deceased. Reports are that at 3 p.m., a Toyota Hiace, which plies the Mandeville, Manchester to Kingston route, and laden with 19 passengers, was proceeding towards Spanish Town. Upon reaching a section of the roadway near Sharper Lane, the vehicle developed a blown tyre. The driver lost control of the bus, which hit a concrete wall. The impact flipped the vehicle, which then overturned, causing several passengers to be thrown outside. This resulted in serious injuries. Several of the injured were assisted to the Spanish Town Hospital where five persons, three men and two women, were pronounced dead. Several injured victims, including a two-year-old remain hospitalised.

Dr Lucien Jones, vice chair of the National Road Safety Council, said that a thorough investigation is required to see if speeding was a contributing factor. The Traffic Department and the Old Harbour police are coordinating the investigation in the matter. According to the Island Traffic Authority, up to yesterday before the incident on the highway, the country had recorded 337 road fatalities, resulting from 297 fatal collisions. This represents a two per cent increase in fatalities when compared to 24 at the corresponding period last year. Fatal crashes have also increased, by four per cent. St Catherine has the highest number of fatalities, accounting for 17 per cent of fatalities since the start of the year.