Popular MoBay clothes vendor killed in traffic accident

A popular Montego Bay vendor died from injuries received after being hit by a motor vehicle while crossing a section of the Lilliput main road in St James on Tuesday night.

She has been identified as 59-year-old Esmeralda Russell, otherwise called ‘Gloria’, a clothes vendor of a Jarrett Street address, also in Montego Bay, St James.

Reports by the Coral Gardens police are that Russell, who also did her vending along the Rose Hall corridor, had just finished selling for the day and was walking along the Rose Hall main road.

She was in the process of crossing the roadway in the vicinity of the Holiday Inn Resort entrance when a motorist stopped to allow her to cross.

It is further stated that the female driver of a Grey Toyota Noah bus was travelling from downtown Montego Bay towards Lilliput when she hit Russell, who was in the process of crossing to the other side.

Russell sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Several business operators who were close friends with the deceased were still in shock after learning of Russell’s tragic demise.

“Gloria had been my friend for many years and she was a lady who always came by my store and sold me and my staff clothes,” one business operator who gave his name as Collin James told The Gleaner.

“She worked very hard over the years, and was a very streetwise person who knew exactly how to reach out to all her customers.”

“Mi nearly dead when mi come open mi business this morning and get the news that car lick down Gloria out a Rose Hall. At first, mi did a wonder what she a do so far, but then mi remember that she a real hustler.”

The businessman told The Gleaner that Russell was considered to be a mother among vendors in Montego Bay, and she was well respected by one and all, including her many customers, other business operators and vendors, and even municipal warders.

One senior traffic cop told The Gleaner that this latest accident is a most unfortunate incident, but, over recent times, it is the norm for pedestrians to cross that section of the roadway in the vicinity of the resort, which is extremely dark at nights as there are no lights in the vicinity of that intersection.

“Pedestrians refrain from using the pedestrian crossings in and around the township of Montego Bay, and are always attempting to cross various roadways, especially those which are extremely dark at nights,” the traffic cop stated.

“Pedestrians tend to cut across traffic, and these practices are mostly common in areas such as Rose Hall, at Ironshore in the vicinity of Blue Diamond Plaza, at the Flanker stop light intersection, at the corner of KFC along Alice Eldemire Drive, and in the vicinity of the Montego Bay Community College.”

“We are imploring persons to use the pedestrian crossings at all time, especially at nights and in areas that are relatively dark,” the traffic officer said.

He further stated that there has been a number of fatalities in St James since the start of the year which involved pedestrians, and that most of the victims lost their lives while crossing at crucial points along various sections of the roadway.

Since the start of the year, nine persons have died in nine fatal crashes in St James, compared to 10 in nine fatal accidents during the corresponding period last year.