MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Jamaica has recorded 307 road fatalities since the start of the year following Wednesday morning’s market truck crash in Manchester which claimed four lives.

In the latest statistics released, 307 people died from 271 collisions, a 13 per cent increase when compared to the corresponding period last year.

Three women and a man died this morning as a result of injuries they sustained when the market truck in which they were travelling crashed on the Pen Hill main road in the vicinity of Mizpah.

Police reports are about 2:15 am, the driver of the truck negotiated a corner, lost control of the unit and it collided into a bus stop.

The police have yet to release the names of those killed. However, among the fatalities is a 41-year-old male, a 39-year-old female and a 30-year-old female. The age of the fourth person, a female was not obtained at press time.

Vice-chairman of the National Road Safety Council, Dr Lucien Jones, described this latest crash as “an absolute disaster”.

“Once again the nation is plunged into despair and grief, because of what is happening on our roads… This is an absolute disaster and should never have happened for several reasons,” he said on Wednesday.

Kasey Williams