Four Killed in St Catherine Highway Crash, NRSC Urges End to Distracted Driving

A tragic early morning crash on Sunday along the St Catherine leg of the PJ Patterson Highway has left four people dead, including an eight-year-old child, sparking renewed calls for safer driving practices.

The collision occurred around 12:30 am near KM5/850 eastbound and involved a 2002 Toyota Probox and a 2022 Mercedes Benz.

The deceased have been identified as Tyesha Manhertz, 22; Wendy Lammie, 29; Andre McLeish, 27; and Tray Stewart, eight.

According to police reports, the Toyota Probox, carrying nearly a dozen passengers, including children, was traveling toward Kingston when the driver lost control and crashed into the highway median. While the passengers attempted to exit the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz heading in the same direction slammed into the Probox, resulting in the four fatalities and several injuries. The injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Dr. Lucien Jones, vice-chairman of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), condemned what he described as dangerous and distracted driving practices, including streaming and watching videos while behind the wheel. He emphasized that distracted driving likely contributed to the crash, along with excessive speeding.

“The police report suggested that somebody was speeding. There was distracted driving, and there is inquiry about a collision with a vehicle in a previous crash. This is our worst nightmare come true as road safety advocates,” Dr. Jones stated.

He also stressed the importance of drivers avoiding distractions, including cellphone use, speeding, and driving under the influence of alcohol. Pedestrians were urged to use the roads cautiously.

“In this context of reported distracted driving and speeding, of the five components that make up the safe systems approach… by far the most important one we face in this country is producing safe road users,” Dr. Jones noted.

The NRSC vice-chairman called for a national effort to curb reckless behavior on the roads, particularly distracted and impaired driving.

“This madness of excessive speeding and distracted driving has to stop. All our efforts are to try and prevent this kind of craziness, this kind of suffering and pain for families,” he lamented.

So far in 2025, Jamaica has recorded 92 road fatalities from 83 crashes. Despite this alarming figure, the numbers are slightly lower than the same period last year, which saw 106 deaths.

“Every hand has to be on deck to stop this kind of carnage and pain and grief that we are all suffering,” Dr. Jones urged.

Authorities are continuing investigations into Sunday’s deadly crash.