Four dead, including 8-y-o, from ‘shocking’ crash on PJ Patterson Highway

An eight-year-old child is among four persons, including two women, who died as a result of injuries they sustained in a two-vehicle crash along the PJ Patterson Highway in St Catherine early on Sunday morning.

The deceased persons have been identified as 22-year-old Tyesha Manhurt, unemployed; 29-year-old Wendy Lamey, unemployed; 27-year-old factory worker, Andre McLeish; and eight-year-old Troy Stewart, all of Kingston addresses.

A statement from the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PTSEB) said the possible causes of the crash included inattention/diverted attention, excessive speeding and “collision with a vehicle in a previous accident”.

A black 2022 black Mercedes Benz motorcar and a grey 2002 Toyota ProBox motorcar were the vehicles involved in the crash, which occurred at approximately 12:30 am on the eastbound corridor along the PJ Patterson Highway, according to the PTSEB.

Reports are that a man was driving the Toyota Probox in an easterly direction towards Kingston with the two women and the child among the passengers, when he lost control of the vehicle, which hit a median. This resulted in the vehicle overturning.

While the persons were attempting to exit the crashed vehicle, it was hit by the Mercedez Benz motorcar, resulting in the four being injured.

They were taken to the Spanish Town Hospital, where they were all pronounced dead.

In reacting to the development, Vice Chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Dr Lucien Jones, described the crash as being “shocking”.

“I just received the shocking news that early this morning, four people died on the nation’s roads. Four, one time – two women, two males, one a young child, eight years old, all under the age of 30.

“This is absolutely shocking and happening on one of the best roads in the country,” said Jones in a statement on Sunday.

He said the crash brought the number of fatalities from motor vehicle crashes on the nation’s roadway to 92 this year.

“Everybody has to be on deck with this, the entire nation, to try and put a stop to this kind of multiple-fatality crash,” said Jones.

“All hands must be on deck to stop this madness of excessive speeding and distracted driving and distracted walking on our roads,” Jones added.