MONTEGO BAY, St James

Tuesday’s motor vehicle collision which claimed two lives on Howard Cooke Boulevard has prompted calls from Senior Superintendent of Police in charge of traffic, Elan Powell for laws that will force traffic offenders to pay.

“We need stiffer sanctions. These motorists should not be allowed to license their motor cars, renew their driver’s licence nor conduct any business with government until they have met their obligations,” said SSP Powell, noting that over 100,000 of the 300,000 tickets that the police issued for traffic offences went unpaid.

“When every motorist understands that they will feel it in their pockets whenever they are caught (committing an offence), this will deter them from reckless and careless driving, which is contributing to the carnage on the roads,” he said.

A Portland man and his son died after the motor vehicle they were travelling in collided with a pickup truck along the busy Howard Cooke Boulevard.

Police gave the identities of the deceased as Everald King, 60 years old, and his son, Patrick George Anthony King, 36 years old, both businessmen of Windsor Castle, Portland.

Meanwhile, the driver of the pickup and a man identified only as Rashy, also of Portland – who was a passenger in the Kings’ motor vehicle – were hospitalised in the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

According to Corporal Peter Salkey, the CCN liaison officer for St James, about 1:35 pm Tuesday, a grey Toyota Sprinter registered 6267 EF, being driven towards the Montego Bay town centre by the younger King along Alice Eldemire Drive, made a right U-turn at the intersection of Catherine Hall and Howard Cooke Boulevard. A Ford F150 pickup truck, registration number 0803 DU travelling along the Howard Cooke Boulevard towards Freeport collided with the Sprinter. The Kings died on the spot.

The accident created a huge pile-up of afternoon traffic along Howard Cooke Boulevard, Alice Eldemire Drive and Catherine Hall main road.

The death of the two Portlanders brought to 123 the amount of fatalities recorded on the roads since the start of this year, one less than the number recorded for the corresponding period last year.

Meanwhile, Lorna King, widow of the elder King, disclosed that the two – public transportation operators – left Portland about 7:00 am Monday morning for Montego Bay where they intended to purchase a motor vehicle.

She described both men as bread winners for their respective families.

“They were both good men that looked after their families. It is really hard and rough, but I think the Lord is giving me the strength and courage to stay strong for my daughter. My son has three kids ages five, seven and 10,” the distraught Portland woman told the Observer West.