Four hospitalised in separate vehicular crashes along Stony Hill Main Road
Published:Thursday | April 4, 2024 | 12:31 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter -
Four people were hospitalised with minor to serious injures in two separate motor vehicle crashes along the usually busy Stony Hill Main Road in St Andrew yesterday.
In the first incident, which occurred about 5:30 a.m., at a section of the road called 10 Mile, the driver of a Leyland truck transporting construction material lost control of the vehicle which overturned.
The materials, which consisted of sheet rock and ply board among other items, fell off the truck and into the path of an oncoming AD Wagon with two passengers aboard.
This caused the AD Wagon to veer off the roadway and almost over a precipice.
The occupants, along with the driver of the truck, were assisted to hospital by a police team.
Emergency responders, including police, soldiers and members of the Stony Hill Fire Department, were quick on the scene and secured the goods which were said to be worth about $5 million.
The accident caused a major traffic pile up along the roadway which connects St Mary and St Andrew.
The roadway was reduced to single-lane traffic until a crane was located hours later to help clear the wreckage.
There were conflicting reports about the cause of the accident, however the police say the investigation is ongoing.
About 6:20 p.m. the police were called to another crash site along the same roadway.
A broken motorcycle told the tale of the speed and impact.
Eyewitnesses told The Gleaner that the driver of the motorcycle was rushed to hospital with what appeared to be broken limbs.
“He was on the ground bleeding for a good while. Is a motorist passing in a Probox tek him up and rush with him to hospital. I hope him make it,” an eyewitness said.
The motorcycle collided with a Toyota Fielder.
The female driver said she heard the bike speeding toward her and, had it not been for her swift move to avoid it, the motorcyclist would have landed on her windshield.
Both vehicles which were disabled and were taken by wrecker from the scene.
A policeman on hand could be heard saying that the impound at the divisional headquarters, Constant Spring Police Station, was overflowing due to accidents and seizures.
They sought assistance from another station in the St Andrew North division to house the disabled vehicle while the investigation continues.
The Road Safety Unit (RSU) of the Island Traffic Authority is calling for a change in road user behaviour in 2024, as it pushes for a further decline in road crashes and fatalities.
There were 425 road fatalities in 2023, resulting from 384 fatal collisions.
The RSU said that, as at April 3, 108 persons have been killed in 94 fatal crashes since the start of the year.
Fatalities have decreased by seven per cent while fatal crashes have decreased by six per cent when compared to the similar period in 2023.
Motorcyclists account for 36 per cent of road users killed since the start of the year.
Commercial motor vehicle passengers account for three per cent of road users killed since the start of the year.
Private motor vehicle drivers account for 18 per cent of the road users killed since the start of the year.