Second victim of car crash dies

WATERWORKS, Westmoreland:

THE SECOND of the two children who were involved in a motor-vehicle crash along the Waterworks main road in Westmoreland died while undergoing treatment at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, St James, on Tuesday night.

She is 12-year-old Kesanya Spence of Waterworks. Her friend Crystal-Ann James, also 12, died on the spot.

The two girls were heading for Vacation Bible School at the local Wesleyan Holiness Church around 3:00 Tuesday afternoon, when they were hit by a 2010 Toyota Corolla driven by Miguel Rowe of Spice Grove in St Elizabeth.

Rowe was allegedly in the process of overtaking another vehicle when his car hit a pothole. He reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which swerved to the left, climbed an embankment and grazed a tree before hitting both girls, who were at the time walking on the embankment.

Both girls suffered severe head and body injuries. James died on the spot while Spence was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital. She was later airlifted to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment.

Rowe, who sought refuge in a supermarket in a bid to escape an angry crowd, was later arrested and charged by the Whithorn police. He is scheduled to appear in the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate Court on July 19 to answer to the charges of two counts of death by dangerous driving.

promising young girls

Meanwhile, the community is saddened by the death of the two promising young girls. "Everybody is grieving because she was not sick or anything," commented Crystal-Ann's mother, Paulette James.

She said that she will miss her most for the relationship they shared as a mother and only child. "When I was getting ready to go to work this morning, she came in the room and said, 'Mommy, do what you always do nuh. Hug me man', and she embraced me and kiss me and say 'I love you'," relates the mother.

James explained that while she was at work, she called her daughter and told her to take care of herself, and shortly after that a friend called to report the bad news.

The mood was no different at the residence of Kesanya's family. Her cousin Stacey-Ann Forrester was the strongest. "She was a very helpful child and will be sadly missed," she said, tears running down her cheeks.

After a brief break to allow the tears and emotion, she exclaimed, "Kesanya was supposed to start at Belmont High in September!"

- Dalton Laing