What was supposed to have been a vocation for an American mother and daughter who were on a cruise that stopped off in Jamaica, turned to tragedy on Thursday, January 14. The coaster bus that they were travelling in collided with a motor truck on a section of the North Coast Highway, in Trelawny.Thirty-two-year-old Crystal Glewwe of the United States of America was the woman who died as a result of injuries she sustained in the motor vehicle collision. She was buried in her hometown in the state of Minesota on Sunday, January 17. Her nine-year-old daughter who was hospitalized after the crash returned home at the weekend, in time for the funeral.Reports from the Falmouth Police are that about 3:10 p.m., a Toyota Coaster bus transporting cruise ship passengers was travelling towards Falmouth when the driver of a Freightliner motor truck that was travelling in the opposite direction, failed to keep left and collided with the Coaster bus, which overturned. The passengers were taken to the Falmouth Hospital where Glewwe died while undergoing treatment.
The driver of the Coaster bus and a tour guide remain in hospital, while the others were treated and released.
The driver of the truck and three occupants of a car also involved in the crash have also been released from hospital.
Investigations are continuing.
In the meantime, Pastor Peter Haas from Minnesota in the USA, who knew Crystal Glewwe and her husband Rick, who is a family ministries pastor at Haas’ church, wrote this message on his Facebook page on Friday, January 15:
It is with heavy hearts that we are communicating about a tragedy that happened in our church family yesterday. Many of you know our Family Ministries pastor Rick Glewwe & his wife Crystal. Rick oversees our youth & kids ministries at all our Substance locations. Crystal & Kayden were on a special vacation, enjoying a mother-daughter cruise when, yesterday (1/14), Pastor Rick got a call that there had been a terrible bus accident in Jamaica and that Crystal (his wife) had passed away. Kayden (9) is currently in the hospital in Jamaica and had to have surgery last night. Right now, our Exec Pastor Bart Scharrer & Pastor Rick are on a flight to Jamaica. None of Rick’s 4 kids know about their mom yet so we appreciate your prayers and discretion (They are: Kayden (9), Taylor (6), Faith (4) & son, Bailey (20 months).
Obviously, the staff & I are completely torn up over this. I’m still struggling to wrap my mind around this. There is a lot we don’t know yet. But we will keep you posted on the details & how you can help. In the meantime, we appreciate your thoughts & prayers. We are currently setting up a memorial fund and will let you know more details in the coming hours. – Pastor Peter Haas
