Three men, including two motorcyclists and a pillion, died from injuries they sustained in a fiery double motorcycle collision which occurred in the vicinity of the Green Island bridge in Green Island, Hanover, on Friday night.
Those killed have been identified as 34-year-old Dane Wedderburn of Cauldwell district; 26-year-old Troy Myrie of Salt Spring district; and 21-year-old Rajay Parkins, otherwise called ‘CJ’, all labourers of Green Island in Hanover.
Reports from the Green Island police are that about 9:40 p.m., Wedderburn was riding a Suzuki Access motorcycle with Parkins as the pillion, from the direction of Cousins Cove towards Negril.
On reaching a poorly lit area in the vicinity of the Green Island bridge, Wedderburn collided head-on with the other motorcycle being ridden by Myrie, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
The impact of the collision resulted in one of the motorcycles bursting in flames. Wedderburn was burnt beyond recognition and died on the spot. Myrie also suffered head and body injuries and he, too, died on the spot, while Parkins suffered severe burns and was rushed to the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, where he died while being treated.
Meanwhile, angry relatives of two of the victims lashed out at the police, who they say barred them from pulling both men away from the inferno.
“The police dem need fi get better training on how fi deal with people on accident scene, and is because a dem why Dane burn to death,” one relative who gave her name as Alex Pedro Davis told The Gleaner.
“A mi a di first family memba who go pon the scene, an that time the fire never really start blaze up yet. Wi could still si seh Dane alive, but every time wi try fi go towards the bike fi pull him weh from the fire, di police bar wi, an wi just have fi stan up an watch dem burn to death,” the disgruntled woman stated.
However, Sergeant Andy Birch, sub-officer in charge of Area One Reconstruction Unit, told The Gleaner that lives could have been saved if the riders and pillion were wearing helmets and proper riding gear.
“This triple road fatality is another example why motorcycle riders must wear helmets and other protective gear. We have had a number of these accidents in the division where motorcyclists refuse to wear their protective gear, and the police are again warning these road users to desist from riding without helmets and other gear, as the police will be coming at them with the full force of the law,” Birch stated.
One senior officer related that he will be carrying out investigations into the concerns that were raised by the relatives of the victims.
The triple fatal accident on Friday night was not the only accident which took place in the parish, as earlier in the afternoon two other accidents which resulted in 10 persons being injured and treated at hospital occurred in Lookout district in Hopewell, and along the Tryall and Flint River main roads.
The first incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. in the Lookout community, where a female who was making preparations for her wedding, which was supposed to take place on Saturday, and one of her bridesmaids were seriously injured after the vehicle in which they were travelling crashed along the Lookout main road.
The bride to-be, who was driving the vehicle, and her bridesmaid sustained injuries after the vehicle developed brake failure and crashed. They were rushed to the Noel Holmes Hospital, where they were treated and admitted.
An hour later, the driver of a Toyota Corolla motor car reportedly collided with another vehicle in the community of Sandy Bay. The driver failed to stop and sped away in the direction of Hopewell, but on reaching the vicinity of the Flint River main road, he lost control of the vehicle and collided with two other vehicles, and then overturned.
Eight persons, including the hit-and-run driver, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospital. He was treated and released to the police.