DUNCANS, Trelawny — The police have attributed speeding and reckless driving as the causes of Friday night’s vehicular crash which resulted in the death of three people in this north-western town.

The deceased have been identified as 31-year-old Christopher Codner, of Exchange, St Ann; 25-year-old Kemar Smith of Hyde, Clark’s Town, Trelawny; and 21-year-old Lexian Williams, who was of a Rio Bueno address also in Trelawny.

“From what I have seen it is speeding and improper overtaking which were the factors which resulted in the accident which claimed the lives of the three persons,” commander of the Trelawny Police Divison Superintendent Carlos Russell told the Jamaica Observer.

According to Inspector Perona Haughton of the Trelawny Police Division the accident occurred about 6:40 pm. A Toyota Mark X, which was travelling from Falmouth towards Rio Bueno, driven by Smith, slammed into a Toyota Voxy, which was travelling in the opposite direction along a section of the north coast highway that passes through Spring Hill.

The impact of the collision caused the occupants of both vehicles to sustain multiple imjuries. Codner, who was the driver of the Voxy; Smith and Williams who were passengers in the Mark X succumbed to their injuries at the scene.

Five individuals were rushed to hospital for treatment. Up to late Saturday afternoon they remained in hospital.

When the Sunday Observer arrived at the accident scene Friday night, members of the fire brigade were busy tending to the injured individuals, while police personnel worked assiduously to direct traffic which had been reduced to one lane.

The mangled remains of the Mark X and extensively damaged Voxy were later removed from the scene where oil and blood marked the roadway.

Scores of curious onlookers massed beyond police yellow tape as they jostled for a vantage view of the wreckage.

One vocal motorist, who claimed to have witnessed the horrific crash, was overheard telling receptive listeners that the Mark X driver was in the process of overtaking when the vehicle careened into the path of the Voxy.

“Whenever you leave your home in the morning and return safely you should give thanks. Pray before you leave and pray when you get home back,” the motorist insisted.

Another member of the gathering chimed in: “You may be driving cautiously and then a careless drive just come and kill you off,” he contended.

A number of motorists who were slowly driving past the scene were heard inquiring if there had been any casualty.

“Anybody dead?” mainly was the inquiry.

When the Sunday Observer visited Rio Bueno on Saturday two bereaved siblings of Williams were too overwhelmed with grief to comment.

Residents, however, spoke glowingly of her.

“She cool, she don’t give no trouble,” said one young man who was seen with the siblings of the deceased.

This was echoed by a man who stated that he was one of Williams’ in-laws.

“She was a nice girl,” he said.

Meanwhile, Williams’ death has shocked followers on social media, where she is being remembered as a rising content creator.

“What is man? I always watch her videos… Life short, eeh man? I pray that she is sleeping in peace,” wrote one man.

A woman added: “Lexii no… on your way to something and didn’t make it, jah jah. Rest up dbess.”

Another man said: “Always admire her as a creative content creator and a fun individual… What is life ehh man??? Up deh yah this minute and den bupz then yuh gone.”

Meanwhile, others used the opportunity to appeal to motorists to exercise care as they travel on the roadways, especially given the fact that the country was now ‘reopened’.

“Ya’ll wanna go out and enjoy unuh self but stop di speeding especially wen unuh ah come from party,” one woman wrote.

Friday night’s accident catapulted the number of road fatalities in Trelawny since the start of the year to six, which is three, or 100 per cent more than the three recorded during the same period last year.

Superintendent Russell, meanwhile, is appealing to motorists to obey the road code.

“The message I would like to send is to urge motorists to obey the speed limit and try to drive carefully and respect other drivers on the road. Stop the fast driving and the careless overtaking,” the senior cop urged.