PORTLAND, Jamaica – The Portland police have confirmed the deaths of two men following a motor vehicle crash Monday night at Spring Gardens, along the north coast highway in Portland.

The dead men have been identified as 33-year-old Dwayne Gooden, otherwise called Paree, and 26-year-old Benjamin Simpson, otherwise called Ben. They are both from Portland addresses.

According to reports, they were passengers in a Toyota motor vehicle travelling towards Port Antonio from Buff Bay, about 9:00 pm. Upon reaching Spring Gardens, it is alleged that the car slammed into the back of a Mitsubishi Evolution motor vehicle and flipped several times, throwing Gooden from it. Gooden reportedly landed in a gully.

Both men and another injured individual were taken to the Annotto Bay Hospital where Gooden and Simpson were pronounced dead.

The injured person has since been transferred to another medical facility.

Their deaths bring the number of fatalities in the parish since the start of the year to eight.

The Portland Traffic Police are investigating.

Everard Owen