THE grief was palpable in the Third Avenue section of Vineyard Town, St Andrew, Thursday afternoon as residents reacted to the death of 10-year-old Shamaire Sharpe hours earlier.

Shamaire was hit by a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus on the adjoining Fourth Avenue early Thursday morning after he had reportedly accompanied his little sister to school.

As news spread of his death, neighbours and friends were in a mournful mood as they remembered the youngster they described as helpful and pleasant.

“Him no give no trouble, him just love play and run up and down, very jovial,” said one man who claimed that he was quick on the scene of the accident and saw Shamaire’s lifeless body minutes after he was hit by the bus.

“That youth just love play; and a boy pickney so him will go next door and play, but him don’t give no trouble. Mi light mi stove this morning and all now no tea no drink yet,” added the man who residents addressed as Mad Dog.

Another resident remembered Shamaire heading to his yard immediately after school each day to play with his grandsons.

“A mi grandsons them come wake me up and tell mi, because mi son tell me this morning, but him never know the boy’s name. A when mi grandchildren come from school and tell mi that mek mi get up because mi know that little boy,” said the man as he joined the group.

“It painful, man, because mi know the little boy and mi check fi him,” added the elderly resident.

At the nearby Vineyard Police Station Shamaire’s mother, Theresa Hopkins, agreed to speak with the
Jamaica Observer despite the obvious pain etched on her face and the tears in her eyes.

She remembered Shamaire, the first of her four children, as helpful with a goal of becoming a professional footballer.

“Him love play football and him say him want a team buy him. When I want him to do the academic part, me and him will roll,” she said.

An obviously hurting Hopkins turned her anger on Shamaire’s father who lives overseas, some of his family members, and the bus driver in particular as she tried to make sense of the death of her child before the Observer attempted to terminate the interview.

“Talk to me now, talk to me now,” demanded a tearful Hopkins as she questioned the actions of the bus driver.

“Sir, me want you write it, me want you write it,” declared Hopkins as she provided her version of the incident that led to the death of her son, even though she did not witness the accident.

“Mi son is a bright little boy, bright, promising. Him go Mountain View Primary and is all A’s him get, and mi see the potential in him, and mi tell him say, ‘Shamaire, shame your father’,” said a then agitated Hopkins.

Nearby other residents claimed the driver of the Number 89 bus, which plies the Vineyard Town to downtown Kingston route, was one who usually drives cautiously and slowly.

“Me watch her drive and she always drive with care,” declared one resident.

In a media release the JUTC said that the death of Shamaire was the subject of a police investigation which is receiving its full support.

“We deeply regret this unfortunate incident and express our sincerest condolence to the family of the child whose life was lost,” said the JUTC.

“We wish to reassure the public that the JUTC is providing all required information and assistance requested by the police; cooperating fully to ensure a transparent and thorough investigation; seeking professional counselling support for the driver and any other affected team members, as incidents of this nature can cause significant emotional distress; and continuing to uphold our commitment to safe and reliable service delivery to the people of Jamaica.

“We kindly appeal to the public for calm, restraint, and patience as the police carry out their investigations. We also ask that our fellow Jamaicans be empathetic and supportive to our staff as such events can trigger severe anxiety and trauma,” added the State-owned bus company.

The Observer was also told that as part of the investigation the driver underwent a breathalyser test and the bus was examined.

An undated picture of 10-year-old Shamaire Sharpe