It is being dubbed as one of the most horrific accidents so far in the country. A driver and his two friends he picked up at a gas station they worked, met their demise when the Mitsubishi Lancer in which they were travelling collided with a tractor trailer on the Falmouth Bypass in Trelawny on Tuesday night, April 5.
Dead are 41-year-old Dwight Sutton of Tilston in Bounty Hall, 23-year-old Janice Brown of Warsop and 20-year-old Keno Edwards of Clarks Town, all in Trelawny.
Reports from the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) are that about 11:00 p.m., Sutton was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer, with Brown and Williams aboard when on reaching a section of the bypass, in the vicinity of the Glistening Waters Marina, the vehicle reportedly collided with a trailer tractor heading in the opposite direction.
The collision happened just after Sutton had picked up Brown and Edwards from Johnson’s Petroleum station in Rock, Trelawny, where Brown and Edwards were employed as pump attendants. They had only gone a few metres when, while trying to navigate onto the major thoroughfare from the minor road, tragedy struck. The impact of the crash caused, among other things, the engine of the Lancer to be dislodged from the car which then careened off the road onto the embankment while the truck which was travelling east, towards St. Ann, ended up turning the other way.
COULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED
Several friends of the three who died in the crash and persons on social media from Trelawny have been commenting on the accident. Many of them discussed the horrific scenes of the crash.
It is understood that Sutton and his friends were pinned down in the vehicle and the fire brigade had to be called to cut them from the wreckage. There was no chance of survival for Sutton and his friends, who all seemed to have several broken bones and other injuries. They were pronounced dead at hospital.
The tractor driver was taken to the hospital, but was later released.
TRACTOR DRIVER NOT AT FAULT
Head of the Trelawny police, superintendent Calvin Blair, explained to North Coast Times on Saturday that the tractor driver was not at fault. “This is what the preliminary investigation is suggesting,” he explained, while adding that the tractor was properly lit.
Supt Blair further added that it seemed that the driver of the Lancer, in wanting to drive unto the major road from the minor road, was trying to beat the truck but was untimely in his endeavour, which cost him his life and that of two others.
He further added that despite those findings, the tractor driver was warned for prosecution.
These latest fatalities have now pushed the road death statistics up to 110, since the start of the year.
SUTTON WAS KIND AND HELPFUL
In the meantime, the family of Dwight Sutton, who was the driver of the Mitsubishi Lancer, is devastated at the news of his death.
Sutton’s sister, Janet Sutton, who spoke with The Times, explained that it was not easy for the family at this time as the loss was so sudden. She further added that that they were told that it will possibly take over a month for any funeral arrangement to be done, as a post-mortem would have to be conducted.
“He was very kind, very helpful and very loving. He is just always helping people. If you want a work, him try to help you get a work. That’s just how he is,” Ms Sutton reflected.
Dwight Sutton was an electrician by profession. He was an industrial zone manager at Iberostar Hotel in Montego Bay at the time of his death and had previously worked at Braco Resorts when it was run by SuperClubs. He died leaving a son, Vaccora Sutton and Oliesha.
Sutton’s sister, Janet, noted that they are both finding it hard to cope at this time, especially his wife, who blames herself for his death. Sutton’s wife had only recently gone overseas and was away at the time of her husband’s death.
She returned home since his death.
