The community of Bonitto Heights in Mandeville, Manchester, was plunged into profound grief on Tuesday morning following the tragic death of nine-year-old Amoya Moore, a Villa Road Primary School student struck by a garbage truck while walking to school.
The incident occurred approximately at 7:00 AM near the child’s residence, moments after she had exchanged morning greetings with the sanitation crew. According to an eyewitness who was washing his car nearby, the tragedy unfolded as the truck descended from Bonitto Heights. The man described hearing a piercing scream before witnessing one of the truck’s sidemen running in distress. Upon rushing to the scene, he discovered Amoya fatally injured on the ground.
Manchester law enforcement authorities promptly impounded the vehicle for technical examination at the Mandeville depot while initiating a comprehensive investigation through both the Manchester Traffic Department and Area Three Accident Investigation and Reconstruction Unit. The driver remained in police custody for questioning throughout Tuesday afternoon as officers gathered official statements.
Villa Road Primary School Principal Brent James characterized Amoya as an exceptionally bright, respectful, and disciplined student who held special significance to him personally. “She literally fights to come and hug me each day,” James recounted, visibly emotional. “A child that had such great prospects, and for her life to just be taken away just like that is tragic.”
The school immediately implemented crisis response protocols, with grief counselors and psychosocial support teams from the Ministry of Education’s Region Five office joining principals from three area schools to assist students and staff processing the devastating news.
Neighbors remembered Amoya as a remarkably polite child who consistently greeted community members during her daily walks. Dean Williamson, a resident and father of two daughters, expressed the collective devastation: “It is a tragic situation and very devastating to the community. All of us are parents.”
Senior government officials including Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie, Education State Minister Rhoda Moy Crawford, and the National Solid Waste Management Authority issued separate statements extending official condolences to the family and school community. Crawford, who represents Manchester Central and attended Villa Road Primary herself, announced plans to visit both the school and grieving family, simultaneously urging enhanced road safety awareness among all users.