Political colleagues of the late Clinton Dietrich, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) caretaker for North-West Manchester, used the opportunity of his death in a tragic weekend motor vehicle accident to warn motorists to use the roads more carefully.

Dietrich, 60, died early Saturday morning as he was returning home to Mandeville from a wake at Bath in his constituency, in what police are terming a speeding motor vehicle accident at the intersection of the Mike Town Road and the Winston Jones Highway just outside the Manchester capital.

Four others met a fiery death when the collision sparked an explosion that left Dietrich’s Mitsubishi Pajero (SUV) and their Honda Vigor (sedan) burnt-out shells that would send chills up the spine.

“The accident has brought to light again the need for all motorists to abide by the rules of the road at all times,” the Opposition JLP said in a press statement in which it paid tribute to Dietrich, who was also the JLP councillor for the John’s Hall division of the Manchester Parish Council.

The National Democratic Movement (NDM) in its tribute urged all motorists to use the roads “more carefully and cautiously”.

Investigating officer Albert Simpson was reported as saying that available evidence suggested Dietrich exited the Mike Town main road and turned right across the face of traffic without “due care and attention”.

Dietrich’s vehicle collided with the sedan driven by Racliff Lyons, 43, truck driver of Waltham, Manchester, which was travelling in an easterly direction at what police believe was very high speed in the dead of night.

Dietrich was thrown from his smashed vehicle into a ditch and suffered severe head injuries. The other four victims in the Honda motor car were trapped in the burning car, their charred bodies constituting horrifying evidence of the carnage.

Simpson said there was no doubt that speeding was a major factor because the Honda Vigor, which appeared to have taken last-moment “evasive action”, left no brake marks on the surface of the road.

“There was not even an inch of drag mark,” said Simpson. “It would appear that the driver of the Honda saw the Pajero at the very last moment and could do nothing at that stage to avoid impact.”

Noting reports that the accident might have been mainly the result of speeding on the Winston Jones Highway, Councillor, Fairbourne Maxwell (PNP, Mile Gully Division) said it was “sad that facilities (good roads) that were meant to improve the lot of people were so often misused – leading to “destruction”.

“That so many persons were killed shows just how fragile our lives really are and shows that in the blink of an eye we can be gone,” lamented Sally Porteous, deputy mayor of Mandeville.

Dietrich’s death pushed the latest estimates of fatal crashes at 113 since the beginning of the year. There were 366 fatal crashes for all of last year.

His untimely death had also robbed the community of a hard-working, proactive, thoughtful politician and wonderful servant, according to Dietrich’s grieving colleagues.

The JLP described him as “a hard-working, respected and humble man who had a deep passion for the social and economic development of the Jamaican people”.

The party cancelled all campaign activities scheduled for Saturday, including a planned tour of sections of South-East St Andrew. JLP Leader Bruce Golding and other party officials also met weekend with Dietrich’s family, and expressed condolences to the families of the other four.

Audley Shaw, the JLP member of parliament for North-East Manchester said Dietrich, an engineer by profession, had on Friday been part of a lengthy training session, attended a 6:00 pm meeting and still found time to attend the wake later in the evening. His work ethic and positive attitude apart, Shaw also described him as “a pleasant, accommodating man with a great spirit”.

Mandeville Mayor Desmond Harrison described Dietrich as an exemplary local government representative with innovative ideas who was always willing to listen and give advice.

Porteous said Dietrich had entered politics for all the right reasons – his love of country and passion to make things right.

“A perfectionist at heart, Councillor Dietrich never accepted second best. His philosophy was that if you are going to do a job, do it to the best of your ability,” she added.

Dean Peart, local government minister and People’s National Party (PNP) MP for North-West Manchester, praised his opponent’s work attitude.

“He worked very hard – more than the ordinary person,” said Peart. “Although we often disagreed, I know he genuinely believed in what he was doing,” Peart added.

Councillor Maxwell also agreed that Dietrich was always a man who believed in whatever he was doing. “We have lost a good colleague who will be very difficult to replace.”

The National Democratic Movement hailed Dietrich as “a very decent and hard-working Jamaican who was committed to the campaign for change to enhance the building of a better nation”.