Six road users killed by stray animals so far this year
Published:Wednesday | August 9, 2023 | 11:31 AM
Six people have died on Jamaica's roadways this year in crashes involving stray animals, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has disclosed, citing police data.
Five of the crashes involved cows straying onto the roadway.
The other crash was caused by a dog “suddenly” running out onto the roadway.
Four of the victims were motorcyclists, one was a pillion while the other was travelling in a private motor car.
Three of the crashes occurred in Westmoreland, including the last two that brought the issue to national attention.
Police Constable Tajay Ebanks, 22, was killed after the car he was driving collided with a cow along the Mango Hill main road in the parish on July 30.
Three days later, Christopher Samuels, 22, was killed after the vehicle in which he was travelling collided with a cow along the Bay Road main road, also in Westmoreland.
The third Westmoreland victim is Errol Kirlew, a 75-year-old pensioner who lost control of the motorcycle he was driving after a dog “suddenly” ran onto the Whithorn main road on June 18.
Two of the crashes occurred in St Elizabeth while the other, which claimed the life of 11-year-old, Jevaughnie Smith, happened in St Mary on March 1.
Smith was a pillion on a motorcycle when the driver lost control after a “cow suddenly ran out from a pasture into the roadway,” according to a police report of the crash.
Vice Chairman of the NRSC, Dr Lucien Jones, believes between the police, residents and the Local Government Ministry there must be a way to locate the owners of these cows.
“Animals are supposed to be tagged and when they are being moved there is a prescribed manner in which they are supposed to be moved,” he said.
“This is madness. We can't have people doing their own thing in this country and causing people to die.”
A total of 238 people have died in motor vehicle crashes across Jamaica this year, a 20 per cent decrease year on year, according to the NRSC.
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