A Trelawny couple was killed in a two-vehicle collision near the border of St. Ann and Trelawny on Thursday morning. The pair, identified as 35-year-old Dale Robert and 28-year-old Sashalee Williams, were travelling along the Queen’s Highway in a black Toyota RAV4 SUV when they crashed into a white Toyota Hiace bus.
Preliminary reports say that the couple was heading in the direction of Discovery Bay when they came upon a line of traffic. Robert, who was steering the vehicle, drove up ahead of the traffic, attempting to overtake the traffic. That was when they collided with the Toyota Hiace bus, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
The bus and the SUV came to a stop on the soft shoulder heading towards Falmouth. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. Meanwhile, Robert and another man involved in the crash were rushed to the Falmouth Hospital in critical condition.
Later in the day, Robert succumbed to the injuries he sustained. Robert and Williams are residents of Spicy Hill, located in the vicinity of Duncans. Williams died just days before her 29th birthday, which was on December 19.
While the identity of the second man has not been officially confirmed, it is believed that he is the driver of the Hiace bus. Reports say firefighters had to cut the driver out of the wrecked bus because he was pinned down. The passengers of the bus also sustained injuries in the crash, but they are not life-threatening.
The National Road Safety Council is urging Jamaicans to rethink their approach to the road as the Christmas rush intensifies. Instead of treating the season’s bustle as routine, the council warns that hurricane damage and heavier traffic have created a far more dangerous environment, particularly in western parishes.
St. James has seen the sharpest rise, with fatal crashes jumping from 16 to 27 and deaths increasing from 17 to 29. Hanover also recorded more fatalities. Dr Jones says the pattern is alarming, noting that 352 people have died so far this year, including high numbers of motorcyclists and pedestrians.
