MOUNT ROSSER, St Catherine — Two children were among four persons who died in a traffic accident along the Mount Rosser main road yesterday, during a collision between a 10-wheeler truck and a Toyota Hiace minibus.

The dead are:

* three year-old Janelle Junior; and

* her 33 year-old aunt Marcia Grant, who was a teacher at Spanish Town Comprehensive High. They were both from Tawes Pen, Spanish Town.

* An unidentified boy, dressed in a yellow merino and blue jeans and estimated to be about 12 years old; and 30 year-old bus driver Christopher Segree. Segree was from Lyndhurst Road in Kingston.

The accident, which occurred at about 10:45 am in the vicinity of the Windalco mud lake, caused a huge traffic pile-up that continued up to early yesterday afternoon. Segree’s minibus was written off, with the front almost touching the back and the gas pedal ending up in what was left of the vehicle’s midsection.

Among the injured is nine year-old, Sashani Cunningham of Bushy Park, St Catherine, as well as:

* Amos Chambers of Jubby Lane, Trelawny;

* Claudine Bennett and Dale Molando of Runaway Bay, St Ann;

* Christine Clarke, Carlos Henry and Simone Markland.

Sub-officer in charge of traffic at the Ewarton Police Station, Corporal Encel Bent, told the Observer that the bus was travelling downhill towards Ewarton, when the driver attempted to overtake a long line of traffic and collided with the right side of the International truck, which was headed in the opposite direction. Segree, Grant and her three year-old niece died on the spot while the 12 year old-boy later died in hospital. They were all travelling in the minibus.

This is the second major accident in the parish in just over a week and the two bear striking similarities. Last Monday, a four-vehicle pile-up along the McCook’s Pen main road left one person dead and nine others injured.

In that incident, 44 year-old teacher, Dawn Williamson, who had escaped a traffic accident with only a broken arm the week before, died as a result of massive head injuries.

She had to be cut from the vehicle which her husband, Nipoline, was driving at the time of the crash.

According to the police, the two accidents, which occurred a week apart, resulted from minibus drivers overtaking a long line of traffic.

In last Monday’s accident, according to head of the Old Harbour traffic department, Gregory Silvera, a white Toyota Hiace minibus slammed into the right side of a red Toyota Corolla motorcar that was headed towards Old Harbour. The minibus, which was being driven towards Spanish Town by 36 year-old Bertram Gilbert, next collided with the Williamsons’ car, then slammed into a grey Mitsubishi panel van before coming to a stop.

Among those injured were 12 year-old Sanjay Pitter, his 14 year-old sister Saralee Pitter and their 43 year-old father, Berris. Nipoline Williamson, his 11 year-old son Javel and 59 year-old sister Juliete were also injured, along with 36 year-old Bertram Gabriel; Angella Martell, 31; and 18 year-old Cleveland Zayvia.

According to the police’s information arm, yesterday’s deaths have pushed the traffic fatalities to 227 and there have been 201 accidents in which there have been fatalities so far this year.

The Ewarton police, who are investigating the crash, said that while there has been one fatal accident at the foot of the hill, yesterday’s fatal accident was the first on Mount Rosser so far this year. Last year, there were no fatalities on Mount Rosser, Ewarton cops said.