By Adrian Frater, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
A SEVEN-YEAR female student of the Glendevon Primary and Junior High School in St. James, was killed at her home yesterday morning when an old coconut tree, which was being used to support a clothes line, fell on her, crushing her head.
The dead girl, one of five children for Janice Madourie, of a Quarrie address in the parish, has been identified as Moesha Hopwood. She reportedly died on the spot.
According to reports from family members, shortly after 10:00 a.m., young Moesha was standing in close proximity to the clothes-line, which was laden with clothes which the family had put out to dry. During a strong gust of wind, the tree reportedly came crashing down, falling on her.
"When I rush to her side, blood was coming out of her ears, nose and mouth," said her distraught uncle Gary Madourie, who ran to assist her but to no avail. "From I saw what the tree did to her head, I knew she was dead."
A weeping Ms. Madourie, who had to be comforted by friends and family as she spoke to The Gleaner, said that although the tree was obviously old and dried up, there was nothing to indicate that it had weakened to the extent that it would have fallen down.
"The tree always rock when the breeze blowing and we never take it for anything because it looked quite strong," said Ms. Madourie as she tried to explain what happened. "It just decided to fall down today and kill me daughter."
While efforts to get a reaction from the principal of the Glendevon Primary and Junior High School proved futile, a number of curious students from the school rushed to Madden's Funeral Home, in Montego Bay, where the body was taken after Moesha was pronounced dead at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.
