MONTEGO BAY, St James – A 30-year-old Hanover man was yesterday electrocuted and two others hurt when a billboard they were about to install came into contact with a Jamaica Public Service power line.

Police identified the dead man as Jermaine Jackson, a mason of McCreary district in Hanover.

Jackson and the other men, the police reported, were in the process of installing the billboard on premises occupied by Alex Car Rental when it came into contact with the electricity wire, tearing it down.

Jackson died shortly after the accident, while the other men were taken to hospital where they were treated.

Workers at Alex Car Rental, who said they witnessed the accident, claimed that Jackson could have been saved if an ambulance had responded to their emergency call promptly.

Manager of external affairs for the Jamaica Public Service’s western region, Catherine Cooke, yesterday expressed the utility company’s regret over the incident. At the same time, she cautioned persons to be careful when working near JPS power lines.

“We are awaiting the result of the police investigation. It is really a tragic situation and we encourage the public to be careful around electricity lines as electricity can be dangerous,” Cooke warned.