Transport minister expresses ‘deep sadness’ at death of students in motor vehicle crash
CLARENDON, Jamaica – Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Daryl Vaz, is expressing profound sadness over the tragic loss of two students of Lennon High School in a fatal crash in Clarendon on Monday.
The crash occurred as a proposal for the operations of the rural transportation for students has been completed by the ministry and will be presented to Cabinet on Monday of next week.
“As a nation, we mourn this devastating loss and as we work to prevent further collisions like this from occurring. Since the start of the year, a total of 22 children have died tragically on our roads,” the ministry said.
Preliminary reports indicate that the crash involved a private vehicle and public passenger vehicle. The driver of one of the vehicles in the accident was apprehended while attempting to flee the country at the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston.
Vaz also says the Transport Authority has been asked to provide a report following today’s accident and indicated that it has “a no chasing and no blocking policy”, meaning that teams are not allowed to chase neither red nor white plates.
The ministry says it is “committed to strengthening the rural school bus programme to ensure that students have access to safe, dependable transportation and to minimise the number of children travelling in vehicles being operated by rogue drivers.”
He urged the public to refrain from videoing or sharing graphic images from motor vehicle crashes. “Such actions not only cause additional distress to the grieving families but also violate the dignity and privacy of those involved. We ask all citizens to act with compassion and respect during these difficult times”, noted Vaz.
The minister is now calling for caution on the roads.
“I urge all drivers, passengers, and road users to exercise extra caution and adhere strictly to road traffic laws to prevent collisions. Reckless driving, speeding, and non-compliance with road safety regulations put lives at risk, and it is critical that we all play our part in preventing further tragedies. Passengers please speak out on the reckless driving and do not condone this behaviour,” he appealed.
