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Safety concerns raised after pedestrian mowed down on Port Henderson Road

Ramona Bromfield, Principal of Port Henderson Primary School
By Nakinskie Robinson  
 
Concerns are being raised about the safety of pedestrians who traverse the Port Henderson main road in St. Catherine following the death of an unidentified woman early Thursday morning.
 
The woman reportedly ran into the pathway of a moving vehicle from the median that separates the dual carriageway near Jamaica Plumbing and Blaze Gas Station.
 
In light of the incident, Principal of Port Henderson Primary School, Ramona Bromfield, is sounding an alarm on behalf of her staff and students, two of whom received counselling on Thursday after they observed the body of the woman while on their way to school.
 
The principal says the set up of the roadway, which is a major thoroughfare, has caused some amount of unease for pedestrians. 
 
"This is a dual carriageway which adds to the danger, especially during peak school hours. Despite the Ministry of Education providing us with two traffic wardens, motorists continue to disobey their instruction, putting lives at risk. In my time as principal, there have been two incidents where cars have crashed into the school wall. I'm scared for the safety of our students and other pedestrians who use the road," she bemoand. 
 
Ms. Bromfield appealed for motorists to "be more mindful of the road signs and obey the directions of the traffic wardens" so that all road users can be protected. 
 
She said the traffic wardens assigned to the institution have also expressed worry about the disregard from motorists. 
 
"I remember one of them...crying out to me, saying 'Miss, we are scared for our lives. On more than once we had close calls where we have to be running out of the roads, sometimes even lifting the children to ensure that they get out of the way before the motorists comes down,'" the principal recalled, adding that motorists "only obey the traffic wardens when they see the police officers out there". 
 
Ms. Bromfield, who recounted that a student was also hit by a vehicle last year but managed to avoid serious injuries, suggested an overhead bridge may be useful in addressing the situation. 
 


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