There is controversy over the death of a St Ann motorcyclist along the Windsor Road in the parish on Sunday, November 6.
Dead is 25-year-old Thomas, construction worker of Windsor road in St. Ann.
Residents and family members of the police were chasing the motorcyclist and hit the bike, which caused it to go into the path of an oncoming motor car with which the bike collided.
They further suggest that Thomas was later thrown by the police into the trunk of the police car and taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
However, the police have denied those allegations.
The Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in a release stated that:
“Reports from the St. Ann’s Bay Police are that about 12:40 a.m., (Sunday) Thomas was driving his motorcycle from St. Ann’s Bay when on reaching a section of the roadway he collided with a Toyota Vista motor car travelling in the opposite direction.
Thomas was taken to the St. Ann’s Bay Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Investigations continue.”
Some residents of the Windsor Road area have been giving a different account of what happened in the accident.
They told The Times that Thomas had left the Cool Oasis gas station on his bike and was later chased by a police car. They contend that the police car then hit the bike that Thomas was driving and he lost control and he drove into the path of the oncoming motorcar.
However, head of the St Ann police, superintendent Gary Francis has said those accounts are not true and that is not the report that he has in regards to the accident.
When The Times contacted Supt Francis on Monday, he said that the police car was nowhere near the scene of the accident when it occurred.
He further explained that the police were patrolling the St Ann’s Bay area at that time. He pointed out that Thomas was driving his motorcycle and later spotted the police. On seeing the police, he (Thomas) drove off and later lost control and collided into the motor vehicle.
The motorcycle was retrieved by the police and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
