Ten people perished in motor vehicle crashes during the week ended Friday, November 17, according to the Island Traffic Authority and the Ministry of Transport’s Road Safety Unit (RSU).

Among those killed during the week under review are the five who were travelling in the ill-fated Toyota Noah taxi about 3:30 pm on Monday, November 13 along the Bluefields main road in Westmoreland. According to the RSU, the public passenger vehicle collided with a Shacman motor truck, exited the roadway onto the right embankment where it had a frontal collision with a huge tree. Several passengers suffered injuries and five were pronounced dead at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital. Those killed were four females whose ages were 65, 54, 39 and 15, and a male whose age is unknown.

Those killed in separate accidents during the past week included two private motor car drivers, one private motor car passenger, the driver of a commercial motor vehicle and a pedal cyclist.

Meanwhile, a total of 360 people were killed in 328 fatal crashes as of November 17 according to the latest statistics released by the RSU on Friday. This represents a 10 per cent decrease in fatal crashes and a 14 per cent decrease in fatalities when compared with the similar period in 2022.

To date, males and females account for 87 per cent and 13 per cent respectively of the road fatalities as of November 17.