MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Two people died in separate crashes in this south-central parish on Sunday while four others, including a two-month-old baby, were hospitalised at Jamaica Observer’s press time.

The deceased has been identified as Judith Morgan, 58, a resident of George’s Valley in Manchester, and a motorcyclist identified only by his alias, Neko.

In the first incident, police said a male motorcyclist and his female pillion rider were travelling along the Grove Town to Warwick main road in the wee hours when the motorcycle crashed. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at hospital while the pillion was admitted for treatment.

In the second incident hours later, four people including Morgan, her 30-year-old daughter and her grandchildren — a three-year-old and a two-month-old baby — were travelling in a Nissan AD Wagon from Mandeville towards Mile Gully when the crash happened on New Green Road near Martin’s Hill dump.

An undated photo of a motorcyclist identified only by his alias, Neko. He died in a motorcycle crash in south Manchester on Sunday morning.

Police said about 8:10 am the 30-year-old female driver lost control of the car on a wet road, resulting in the vehicle plunging 100 feet into a gully.

The driver reportedly contacted Big Rat Auto Sales & Services Ltd, which also offers wrecking services, to alert the authorities after she had difficulties reaching the Mandeville Fire Station by telephone.

“I was at home when I got a phone call… Somebody said, ‘Mr James, we over the gully. You can run come assist us because we pin down in the car.’ So I jump up same time… I called the police and told them to call the ambulance, the fire station, and everybody,” said Peter James, owner of Big Rat Auto Sales & Services Ltd in Mandeville.

He said the road is a crash hot spot, even as he recounted hearing one of the crash victims shouting for help.

“This road is slippery from ever since so we have to be careful when we drive on this road,” said James.

Firefighters, the police and passersby assisted in pulling the occupants from the mangled vehicle and the gully, before transporting them to hospital.

A crowd converged at Mandeville Regional Hospital shortly after the crash as relatives awaited updates on the victims. The distraught relatives’ worst fears were confirmed as Morgan was pronounced dead.

Morgan’s niece told the
Observer that her four relatives were travelling to Mile Gully to bring diapers for her child.

“I saw them up to last night [Saturday] as we had a family dinner for Christmas because I planned to go to St Elizabeth to bring relief items on Tuesday, after clearing items at the wharf tomorrow [Monday]. They even planned to come to St Elizabeth to help with the relief and the aid,” the distraught relative said.

“I planned to have Christmas dinner in St Elizabeth so I decided to have one up here first, last night [Saturday],” added the relative.

The mangled Nissan AD Wagon involved in one of two crashes on Sunday in Manchester. (Kasey Williams)

Firefighters use a rope and stretcher to remove one of the crash victims from a gully on Sunday in Manchester. (Kasey Williams)