'Absolute mayhem', five killed in crashes on Sunday

Five people, including two foreign nationals, were killed over a 12-hour period in separate motor vehicle crashes in three parishes on Sunday.

“Absolute mayhem yesterday,” said Dr Lucien Jones, vice chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), making reference to the incidents.

The body of the first victim, Ronaldo Blackwood, 24, who resided in Highgate district, Above Rocks, St Catherine, was found about 4 a.m. in a ditch beside his motorcycle in Annotto Bay, St Mary, according to a police report.

Blackwood was part of a group of bikers who attended a party in St Mary and were returning home when it was noticed that he was missing.

A male pedestrian, 62, was killed in the second crash, which occurred about 11:33 a.m. along Howard Cooke Boulevard, in the vicinity of Harmony Car Park, in St James, the police report.

Pedestrian standing or walking in the road as well as “apparent error or judgement/negligence” were listed among the possible causes of the crash.

Another male pedestrian, 72, was the victim in the third road incident, which occurred about one hour later in Junction, St Elizabeth.

“Stealing a ride” and pedestrian “holding onto the vehicle” were among the possible causes of the road fatality, the police report.

“It appears a pedestrian was trying to get a ride on a moving vehicle,” Jones reasoned.

The two foreign nationals, ages 41 and 62, were passengers in a private motor car that crashed along the Rocky Hill main road in St Elizabeth about 5:50 p.m.

“Excessive speeding with no regard to conditions” and failure to keep to the proper traffic lane were possible causes of the crash.

Another foreign national was killed in a motor vehicle crash in St Thomas on Friday. And a 71-year-old male pedestrian died in a crash along Washington Boulevard, in St Andrew, on Saturday.

At least 162 people have died in 147 fatal crashes since January 1 this year, according to official statistics.

Road deaths are down 10 per cent while fatal crashes are down five per cent.

Pedestrians account for 36 or 33 per cent of road deaths this year while motorcyclists account for 44 or 28 per cent, the data shows.

The NRSC vice chairman lamented the “recurring theme” of speeding, failing to keep left and error of judgement often cited as possible causes of crashes in Jamaica.

“Far too many people are dying and far too many people are dying needlessly. We can stop the speeding,” he said.

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