Fifty-four days into the year and at least 54 people have been killed in traffic crashes.

The two latest victims – drivers of private motor cars – were killed in separate crashes between Saturday night and Sunday morning in St Catherine and St Elizabeth.

According to police reports, the men, whose names have not been released, were ages 31 and 34. Speeding was listed as a factor in both incidents, the first crash occurring around 9:30 pm on the PJ Patterson Highway in St Catherine.

Reports are that the driver of a Honda motor car was travelling at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a guardrail to the left of the roadway. He was thrown from the vehicle on impact and succumbed to his injuries while being treated at a hospital.

The second crash occurred about 1:00 am Sunday along the New Holland main road in St Elizabeth. According to the police report, the car was “traveling at a high rate of speed” when the driver lost control of the vehicle which veered to the left of the roadway and crashed into a tree. The impact resulted in the driver being thrown from the vehicle.

Up to Friday, the Island Traffic Authority was reporting that 52 people were killed in 47 fatal crashes since the start of the year. The weekend deaths have now pushed that number up to 54 from 49 fatal crashes. Up to Friday, fatalities had decreased 12 per cent and fatal crashes were down eight per cent when compared to the similar period in 2024.