Overturned truck causes major traffic jam in Priory, St. Ann

 

A trail of destruction, heavy downpour and slow moving traffic paint the scene along the Priory main road in St. Ann after a Cemix truck overturned along the roadway early Thursday morning.

 

Reports reaching Radio Jamaica News are that about 2:30 a.m., the truck, loaded with cement, spun out of control along the roadway while travelling from Kingston on route to Montego Bay.

 

It is reported that the vehicle hit an open trench and mowed down three Jamaica Public Service Company utility poles. 

 

The large vehicle also destroyed a building housing a restaurant and a beauty salon. 

 

It's understood that the driver and the sidemen who were on the trailer were not seriously hurt. 

 

A resident who spoke with Radio Jamaica News laid the blame squarely at the feet of the National Water Commission and its failure to close the open trenches that have been dug up for some months.

 

"The place where the people dig out these pipes and leave these pipes and dig up the highway, it causing havoc on the community because when the emergency vehicle passing, you don't have noweh fi turn offa di road guh because is a precipice over there. Is there one of di truck lick this morning and then get outta control and tear down di whole a di people dem place up there. So we asking the authority if unuh coulda come and fix di place dem weh unuh dig up down here, because it aguh cost people life," he warned. 

 

The National Works Agency said traffic is flowing slowly along the Allan George Richard Byfield Highway and the conditions are expected to remain for the rest of the day. 

 

It said the delayed clearance comes as a specialised crane is required to offload the contents of the truck. 

 

The police are urging motorists travelling from Kingston to Montego Bay to use alternative routes including Golden Grove, Bamboo, Brown's Town and Runaway Bay.