CAVE, Westmoreland — The people were killed and 21 injured in a three- vehicle accident along the Cave main road in Westmoreland at about 6:00 yesterday morning.

The deceased are:

* Sonia Dockery, a 36 year-old woman of Grange Hill in Westmoreland; and

* Elroy Wallace, a gardener of George’s Plain, Westmoreland.

The police reported that a Toyota Hiace minibus, licensed 0660 PP, which had 18 passengers aboard, and driven by Roger Bloomfield, departed Savanna-la-Mar for Kingston when the driver allegedly attempted to overtake an International truck along the Cave Main Road. However, the bus reportedly hit the side of the truck and got out of control and crashed into a parked motor car, licensed 0340 EB.

According to a man, who claimed to be an eyewitness, the bus flipped over before ending up on its top in a river after he hit the car — a Toyota L Touring station wagon. Some of the occupants of the bus were trapped in the vehicle, while others fell in the river.

Seven of the injured were treated at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital and released, and the others admitted.

Those still in hospital last night were:

* Constable Richard Armstrong, 30, and his wife, Delsetta, 28, both of Shrewsbury;

* Helet Fairclough, 37, of Bay Road, Little London;

* Hyacinth Drummond, 59, of George’s Plain;

* Norman Leslie, 23, of Burnt Savannah;

* Sterling Harding, 70, of Amity;

* Chad Robinson, 12, of Segree Street, Savanna-la-Mar;

* Conroy Broomfield, 36, of Whitehouse, all in Westmoreland; and

* Anthony Lawrence, 27, his wife Taschia, 32, and their children, two-year-old Ailsa and nine-week-old, Clive, all of Mount Peto in Hanover.

Constable Armstrong, who is stationed at Mobile Reserve in Kingston, was late yesterday transferred from the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital to the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay.

“I was washing my car when I heard a sound (the bus/truck collision). When I looked up I saw the bus heading towards me and I had to run to escape. The bus then hit my car,” said Glen Brown, the owner of the Toyota L Touring motor car. “He continued and flipped and landed into the river; I then jumped into the river and started to help the people,” added Brown.

The driver of the truck, Oral Ennis, 26, of George’s Plain, reportedly drove his truck to the nearby Bluefields police station where he was interrogated. The driver of the bus, who was among those hospitalised, is also expected to be questioned by the police.

In the meanwhile, Sgt Alva Douglas, police spokesman for Westmoreland, has appealed to motorists to use the roadways with care.

“Statistics have shown that this stretch of road in Cave is an accident- prone area, so I am appealing to motorists to use the roadway with care and abide by the road code.”