MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A devastating series of road incidents resulted in multiple casualties and hospitalizations in south-central Jamaica this Sunday, highlighting ongoing traffic safety concerns. The fatal collisions claimed two lives while leaving four additional victims, including a two-month-old infant, requiring urgent medical attention.
The deceased have been identified as 58-year-old Judith Morgan, a George’s Valley resident, and an unidentified motorcyclist known locally as ‘Neko.’
The first tragedy occurred during early morning hours along the Grove Town to Warwick corridor. According to law enforcement reports, a motorcycle carrying two individuals crashed under circumstances still under investigation. The male operator succumbed to injuries after transportation to medical facilities, while his female passenger remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Several hours later, a second catastrophic incident unfolded on New Green Road near Martin’s Hill dump. A Nissan AD Wagon transporting four family members—Morgan, her 30-year-old daughter, and two grandchildren aged three years and two months—veered off the rain-slicked roadway around 8:10 AM. The vehicle plummeted approximately 100 feet into a ravine, triggering a complex rescue operation.
The driver reportedly contacted Peter James of Big Rat Auto Sales & Services Ltd after failing to reach emergency services directly. “I received a distressed call stating they were trapped in the vehicle,” James recounted. “I immediately alerted police, ambulance services, and fire personnel.”
James emphasized the location’s notorious reputation as a high-risk zone: “This roadway has historically been dangerously slippery—motorists must exercise extreme caution.”
Emergency responders including firefighters, police officers, and civilian volunteers collaborated to extract the victims using ropes and stretchers from the severely damaged vehicle. The rescue culminated in all occupants being transported to Mandeville Regional Hospital, where Morgan was subsequently pronounced deceased.
Family members gathered at the medical facility throughout the day awaiting updates on the survivors’ conditions. A relative revealed the victims were en route to deliver diapers when the accident occurred, having participated in an early Christmas celebration the previous evening.
Photographic evidence from the scene depicted the extensive damage to the vehicle and the challenging terrain faced by rescue teams. Investigations into both incidents continue as authorities examine road conditions and other contributing factors.