MAY PEN, Clarendon — The Clarendon police have warned motorists to be careful when traversing the major thoroughfares in that parish, especially along the toll road, as criminals have been setting traps across the roads that can not only cause damage to their vehicles, but also make drivers vulnerable to attack.

The warning comes after a policeman was seriously injured last week and had to be hospitalised when he was attacked by an armed man after he stopped to fix a flat tyre on a section of the toll road.

The policeman, assigned to a station in St Catherine, was on his way to work sometime after 3:00 in the morning when he picked up a flat tyre. While changing it, he was attacked and stabbed 14 times in the back by an unknown assailant. He remains in hospital in stable condition.

Head of operations in the Clarendon Division, Superintendent Christopher Phillips, told the Jamaica Observer that the cop got into a struggle with his attacker and managed to disarm him of a shotgun.

“We would like to remind residents to be extremely careful when travelling at certain hours of the night or morning and to look out for debris set in the roads to get your attention and to get you to stop so they can commit their criminal acts,” Phillips said.

He also expressed concern that the cop, in an attempt to get to May Pen Hospital, was being turned back at the toll plaza after explaining that he was wounded and was in need of immediate medical attention.

“It is worrying that the operators didn't want to allow him to pass the toll booth. We will certainly look into the issue and see where the gaps are and seek to have them addressed,” said Phillips.