LUCEA, Hanover — Following the first road fatality in the parish for the year, head of the Hanover Police Division, Superintendent Andrew Nish, has announced a robust intensification of road safety operations aimed at reducing fatalities.

The decision followed a collision between a commercial Toyota Coaster bus and a pedal cyclist early Thursday morning on Watson Taylor Drive in Lucea.

The deceased has been identified as 75-year-old Keith Campbell of a Cousins Cove address in the parish.

According to the police report, about 7:00 am the bus was travelling from the direction of Negril towards the town of Lucea when upon reaching a section of the road in the vicinity of Hanover Parish Library the bus collided with the pedal cyclist who was travelling in front in the same direction.

The impact resulted in Campbell being thrown from his bicycle. He suffered a fractured skull, broken arm, and lacerations to the head and died in hospital. The bicycle was also crushed.

Superintendent Nish emphasised that the police are committed to a more aggressive approach to policing the parish’s roads to prevent further loss of life.

“We decided that we are going to tackle the streets robustly in order to prevent some of these accidents that will actually lead to fatalities,” stated Nish.

While stating that any loss of life is significant, Nish said that the parish is currently seeing a lower number of fatalities compared to the same period last year.

For the same period last year, the parish recorded four road fatalities.

Despite the lower figures, the superintendent reiterated that the goal is to maintain safety and reduce the risk of crashes through increased visibility and enforcement.