FLAMINGO BEACH, Trelawny — Workers at a construction firm were left reeling after a female colleague was mowed down by a motorcycle driven by a traffic cop, moments after leaving a party with her colleagues Saturday night.

The policeman, who also sustained serious injuries, remained in hospital up to late Sunday afternoon.

The Trelawny police gave the identity of the deceased as 49-year-old Michelle Thompson, who was of a Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, address.

The Jamaica Observer understands that Thompson was accompanied by her 12- year-old daughter when the accident occurred.

The child was reportedly not hurt.

During a telephone interview, Joel Fletcher, a distraught supervisor from Vertical Design & Construction Limited, said the fatal accident that followed the party has plunged the workforce into deep mourning.

“All of us are shocked because we just had our little get-together, and just as she left the unfortunate thing happened. It’s a tragic thing and all of us feel it,” Fletcher told the Observer yesterday.

Two grief-stricken workers, Connie Shaw and a man who only have his name as Gully Bop, also expressed sadness.

“It is so tragic! It happened just after she left a little get-together we were having here. I feel sad,” Shaw said.

Gully Bop chimed in: “Mi feel sadder! Right now mi don’t feel good. Right now mi feel depressed. She was our co-worker, so right now mi feel it for her.“

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Gary McKenzie, head of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), the collision occurred about 7:00 pm on Saturday on the Flamingo Beach main road, which is near the St James and Trelawny border.

“Based on the information gathered and observations made, a police officer was driving a motorcycle westerly towards St James when the lady was attempting to cross the roadway and ran into the path of the motorcycle,” ACP McKenzie told the Observer.

“As a result of that collision, the lady sustained very serious injuries and died. The police officer also sustained serious injuries and is now hospitalised. The investigation continues,” he added.

Noting that Thompson was clad in dark clothing and the stretch of the road is not well lit, the PSTEB boss urged road users to exercise caution on the nation’s thoroughfares in a bid to reduce the incidence of crashes.

Workers Connie Shaw and ‘Gully Bop’ (Photo: Horace Hines)

The roadway where the accident occurred (Horace Hines)