Curious onlookers examine the crumpled remains of a motor car which was involved in a fatal accident on the Old Harbour Road in St. Catherine on Monday. A five-year-old boy, who was a passenger in the car, died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy died on the Old Harbour road when the vehicle he and his father were travelling in was involved in a three-vehicle collision Monday evening.
Rory Wellington and his father, Noel, 47, of Longwood district, Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, were heading towards May Pen, Clarendon, at the time of the accident. Police say the elder Wellington lost control of his vehicle, causing the accident which also injured two other persons said to be sisters - Moya Sweatland, 18, and Kamaree Sweatland, 21.
Mr. Wellington is hospitalised.
Operators of the toll highway, called for comment yesterday, denied that the accident had occurred on the 110-kilometre per hour roadway.
TRAFFIC PILE-UP
Nicole Kuster, personal assistant to Philipe Lassauce, general manager of Jamaica Infrastructure Operators, told The Gleaner that the collision occurred on the Old Harbour Road, near the bypass which caused traffic to back up on the highway.
However, the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) said the accident did occur on the bypass in the vicinity of the Vineyards housing scheme at about 4:30 p.m.
Mr. Wellington and Rory were in a Toyota Starlet motor car heading from Spanish Town to May Pen, according to the official police report. The Starlet collided with another car, a Mitsubishi, travelling in the opposite direction, as well as a Toyota Land Cruiser which was travelling behind the Mitsubishi.
DIED ON THE SPOT
The five-year-old died on the spot, the CCN said, while Mr. Wellington and the two women were taken to hospital where the women were treated and released. No one from the Mitsubishi car was injured.
Figures obtained from the Police's Traffic Headquarters at Elletson Road, Kingston, indicate that 14 persons died from 11 accidents since January of last year up to yesterday on the Old Harbour bypass. The figures show that six persons died from four accidents since the start of the year while seven persons died from seven accidents last year.
