Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
SPANISH TOWN:
The first road fatality for the St Catherine North Traffic Division since the start of the year.
A 24-YEAR-OLD labourer has become the first road fatality for the St. Catherine North Traffic Division since the start of the year. He is Ricardo Allen of Ellerslie Pen, Spanish Town, St. Catherine.
Reports from the police are that, last Friday, Mr. Allen was driving a 1990 Toyota Corolla motor car along St. John's Road about 7:00 p.m. when he is said to have lost control of the vehicle that ran off the road and hit a lightpost. The vehicle was extensively damaged and an injured Allen had to be taken from the wreckage by passers-by. He was taken to the Spanish Town Hospital and later transferred to the Kingston Public Hospital where he died about midday Saturday.
The police are contending that Mr. Allen's death was due to speeding. According to Constable Allen Henry, of the Traffic Department, the damage to the vehicle proves that the deceased was travelling at a very high speed when he impacted with the lightpost.
"While persons are tempted to speed we're hoping that they know that speed kills, and we believe that Mr. Allen was speeding when this accident occurred," Constable Henry said.
In 2005, the St. Catherine North police said they had an 18 per cent decrease in the number of fatal accidents with 24 persons killed on the road. Thirty-one died in 2004. Head of the department, Patrick Murdock, said the police would be embarking on a massive drive to deal with persons with traffic violations, especially speeding, as it has proven to be the greatest cause of fatal accident for the police.
