SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland – The two major political parties on Monday urged supporters to be careful on motorcades and think safety first, as members of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) mourn the loss of a supporter killed in a freak accident in St Elizabeth on Sunday night.

The JLP supporter, Lloyd Richards, 47, of Love Lane in downtown Kingston, died after his head slammed into bamboo plants along the Holland Bamboo Main Road in St Elizabeth.

The Lacovia Police reported that Richards’ head was protruding from the LiteAce bus in which he was travelling. A red motor car, the police said, tried to overtake the bus, but was hindered by an oncoming vehicle. To avoid a collision with the approaching vehicle, the car slammed into the right front section of the bus, and sent it crashing into a cluster of bamboo.

Richards sustained a wound to his neck. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

There was a solemn moment at the JLP mass rally at Independence Park in the Westmoreland capital when it was announced. Thousands of JLP supporters who were in attendance joined hands in a moment of reflection while the sound system played a popular gospel song.

Opposition Leader Bruce Golding described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” and repeated his appeal for discipline on motorcades.

“I am making an appeal to all of you, it is an appeal I make everyday, but some people don’t listen, let us conduct our tours and motorcades with discipline on the road,” Golding urged. “This business of sitting on car windows and bus windows and hanging out is not what I want, and that is what cost us the life of one Labourite today (Sunday) and I am appealing to you again, let us conduct ourselves within the law.”

Golding said Richards’ common-law wife was in the motorcade and wanted to continue with them, but he told her no and. “sent her to the hospital to make sure she is properly checked out as she suffers from hypertension. We also sent people to stay with her (tonight) as she needed comfort and support during this difficult time.”

Kingston mayor Desmond McKenzie, who chaired the rally, said Richards’ death was “one vote less but when him get to heaven him certainly will vote for Labour”.

Meanwhile, the People’s National Party’s General Secretary, Donald Buchanan, called on political supporters to desist from protruding their bodies from moving vehicles while on the campaign trail.

“This untimely death,” he said, came as a warning as such an incident can occur again and instructions from security forces shouldbe obeyed.”

In late June, the JLP banned motorcades in its Area Council Four, which includes St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, saying that such activities were “costly, ineffective and encourage indiscipline”.