Chairman of the Police Federation, Corporal Rohan James, is lambasting the Government and the toll operators of the North-South Highway for instituting roadblocks that hampered efforts to transport a wounded policeman and a female to seek medical attention following a motor vehicle crash.

Constable Donald Carr, 36, later died at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital after succumbing to injuries he sustained in the traffic accident on Saturday.

Reports are that Carr was driving a motor car on the highway about 8:00pm when he lost control of the vehicle and it overturned in a ditch near Golden Grove.

Carr and a female passenger were taken to hospital where the lawman later died and the woman admitted in serious condition.

It is understood that the deceased cop and the injured woman were at the crash scene for some time before they were assisted.

READ: Policeman killed, female passenger injured in highway crash

While members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are reportedly in a somber mood, others are “militant”, according to James, due to toll operators refusing to allow the police to exit the toll without paying.

“When the officers entered the toll road, they managed to pick up the victims and, upon seeking to exit the toll, the toll operators refused …to allow them through…,” the federation chairman said.

“Consequently, our officers had to breach the barrier in order to make their way to the hospital, which we make no apologies for, and we will continue to do what is in the best interest of any citizen’s wellbeing,” he added.

Despite the Jamaica Defence Force having unlimited access to the toll road, members of the JCF have no such privilege under the Toll Road Act.

James is urging the government and the relevant authorities to facilitate such a provision to allow the police unfettered access to the toll road.

“Since I’ve taken over as chairman, based on the incidents that have occurred on the highway affecting our membership and also accessibility in relation to treating the members of the force, I am asking for the government, and by extension, the Ministry of Transport and through our Minister of National Security, to endeavour to afford accessibility to police units, so that we can treat with complaints unfettered,” James said.

“To date, that has not happened. The Toll Road Act has not facilitated such a provision.

“It is time for the government to desist from tying the hands of police officers and allow them to carry out their functions in a manner that is befitting the people of Jamaica,” James continued.

Meanwhile, James said the incident has left some officers feeling “militant” because “we believe that the government has not only failed us as an organisation and law enforcement agency, but they have failed the citizens of Jamaica.

“We have been pleading to the government to give use the requisite support in our quest to bring about law enforcement and to ensure we enforce the laws of the land consistent with the expectation of the citizens,” he added.

The police federation chairman expressed frustration, too, at what he said was the refusal of the government to provide law enforcers with “the basic necessity to operate at an efficient level”.

“It cannot continue and it will not continue, because I am not going to sit down as the chairman and allow for the Government of Jamaica to compromise the safety and security of the people of this country. Enough is enough!” declared James.