The number of students of Holmwood Technical High School, killed in a traffic crash on Wednesday, has risen to four. A student who had been airlifted to Kingston Public Hospital shortly after the crash, later succumbed to her injuries, joining three others who had died earlier in the day.
This has given rise to renewed calls for a multi-faceted approach to addressing the transportation problem that has been plaguing students of Holmwoon and many other rural Jamaica schools.
Classes at the high school, located in the central parish of Manchester, were dismissed early, when news reached the institution of the horrific crash. The three-vehicle collision took place along the Chudleigh main road near the town Christiana. Twenty-six students were treated for various injuries.
The incident occurred at 7:40, when two minibuses were transporting students to school.
It’s reported that the driver of one of the vehicles attempted to overtake another vehicle and crashed head on into a truck, which then spun out of control and crashed into the other minibus.
Angela Davidson, Dean of Discipline at Holmwood Technical, told RJR News that the deaths had left students traumatized.
“The counsellors are here, we are trying to deal with things as best as possible, because some of them (the students) are fainting because they are hearing news of their friends….” she said.
The Holmwood family has mourned the deaths of several students in motor vehicle crashes over recent years. The last major crash occurred on April 7, 2011, when four students died after the bus in which they were travelling crashed into a wall in the community of Succeed in the parish. The owner of the bus also died in that crash.
Audley Shaw, Member of Parliament for North East Manchester, who was on the scene, hit out against the lawlessness of drivers. He also renewed his call for a rural bus transport system.
“I just want to say once again that, first of all, the lawlessness on the road continues unabated, drivers are driving on this road at high speeds with our children. Action has to be taken at every level The minister needs to deal with the issue of a school bus system in rural parishes. The police need to come into this area and have a seminar with drivers. People need to be arrested and locked up,” he said.
Egeton Newman, the National Coordinator of the Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators, (JATOO), who was also at the scene of the crash, appealed to the authorities to develop a plan of action to address road safety.
“We need to put an end to this, I think what’s needed in Manchester right now - all institutions must come on board to address the problem not just in Manchester. Our taxi operators and bus operators must do more to save the lives of people …what we want is a stable code of action” Newman said.
The crash occurred one day after the Road Safety Unit announced that it will be embarking on a four-month island wide tour in a bid to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities.
All feeds
