Richard Morais, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU

The adjoining communities of Goodwill, Adelphi and Johnson Hill in St James and Trelawny were thrown into shock yesterday when three of their residents perished in a motor vehicle accident on the Scarlett Hall main road, near Salt Marsh, in Trelawny.

The deceased are Ruth Mignott, a 34-year-old room attendant of Johnson Hill; 56-year-old Ervin Brown of Adelphi, and David Martin of Goodwill, whose age has not yet been determined.

Mignott's common-law husband, Carl Williams, said: "She left the house about six o'clock to go to work and, a little later on, a friend of mine called and said she was in an accident and I am to check it out."

Williams said he did not go into denial at first, as the friend was trustworthy but, when a second call came in to say she was dead, he convinced himself it was a mistake.

She leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 10.

Not much is known of the other deceased persons as contact with relatives could not be made.

The accident occurred around 6:30 in the morning when the vehicles, a Toyota Corolla, driven by Brown, and a Toyota Townace collided head-on. Police reports are that the bus that was travelling in an easterly direction and swerved into the path of the car, which was going in the opposite direction. Two died on the spot, but Martin died in the Falmouth Hospital. Three people survived, including the bus driver, who was the lone occupant of his vehicle.