HAGUE, Trelawny — Four men from Portland, including two brothers, died from multiple injuries they received when the car in which they were travelling slammed into the side of a bus on the north coast highway here, yesterday.

A woman, who was reportedly being transported to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay to board a return flight home to Canada, received serious injuries and was last night battling for life in Falmouth Public General Hospital, where she was admitted following the mid-morning crash.

The deceased, all from the Portland capital, Port Antonio, have been identified as brothers Omroy and Omar Russell; Dayton McLeary, 24; and Everton James, 22.

One of the brothers reportedly died while undergoing treatment at Falmouth Public General Hospital, while the other three passengers died on the spot.

According to the police, about 10:15 am a Nissan March motor car with five occupants was heading towards Montego Bay when the driver, shortly after crossing the traffic signals at the intersection of Hayes main road with the road to Florence Hall, was in the process of overtaking a line of traffic and slammed into the path of the bus with two occupants.

The bus, which was travelling in the opposite direction, was sent tumbling into a ditch at the side of the road from the impact of the crash.

Members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade had to cut the occupants from the mangled motor car.

The police had to work assiduously to get the heavy build-up of traffic flowing, as some motorists slowed or stopped to get a view of the scene where three of the bodies lay covered beside the wreckage.

Pieces of glass, metal, a twisted car door, and one shoe were among the objects strewn along the side of the blood-stained road where the vehicles collided.

One bystander, who claimed to have witnessed the accident, said the car was attempting to overtake a line of vehicles when it collided with the bus, despite the efforts of the bus driver who even took to the soft shoulder to avoid the collision.

“The bus driver take weh himself and the car man still ram inna him,” said the alleged eyewitness, who was among individuals gathered at the crash scene.

The bus driver was taken to hospital for treatment.

McLeary’s distressed brother, Altiman King, who resides in Montego Bay, said: “I spoke to Dayton around 9:45 and at that point he was actually in close vicinity of Ocho Rios. I was told by him that they were taking a female passenger to airport and the flight leaves at 12:00 noon, so at that point I knew that they were running late and they had to speed to catch up,” said King.

He said his brother, who met an untimely death, was invited by his friend to accompany them on the drive to the airport.

“My brother is a pastry chef and a jovial individual; I never see him get angry, and he is always willing to help out. Today is a sad day; emotions can’t explain how I feel. Right now my knees are weak. I don’t know what to say,” said a distressed King.

Meanwhile, James’ grief-stricken brother Adrian Barrett, a Trelawny resident, told the Jamaica Observer that he had not seen his brother, who has a twin sibling, for over a year.

“I got a call from a family member that one of my little brothers was involved in an accident in Trelawny so I should get in touch with police or hospital to provide feedback to them in Portland. After calling a friend I ended up coming here [on the accident scene],” he told the Observer.

Yesterday’s accident was the first fatal accident in Trelawny since the start of the year. Last year some 23 people died in road crashes in the parish.