Yahneake Sterling and Petrina Francis, Staff Reporters
The mangled remains of the two motor vehicles that were involved in Saturday morning's fatal accident on Hope Road. Two persons died in the crash and the twisted wreck was taken to the Matilda's Corner Police Station. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A THREE-DAY-OLD baby has been left fatherless following a fatal accident on Hope Road on Saturday night.
The father, attorney Ian Stewart, died shortly after his blue Subaru Legacy got out of control and hit a median before landing on top of a Toyota Corolla that was being driven by Steve Bailey, a student at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus.
According to police reports, Stewart, who resided at a Brompton Road, Kingston 5 address, was travelling towards Liguanea, about 3:00 a.m., when he lost control of his car in the vicinity of the Bob Marley Museum. Bailey was reported to have been travelling in the opposite direction, towards Half-Way Tree.
PHD IN GEOGRAPHY
Bailey, who was two months away from completing his Ph.D. in geography at the university, died on the spot while Stewart later died at hospital. Bailey was scheduled to lecture in the Geography Department in the upcoming academic year.
Sources close to the family of Stewart told The Gleaner that the father-in-law of the attorney was too distraught to speak as he was still in mourning.
It was also ascertained that his wife went home with their three day-old-baby yesterday.
Sherry-Ann McGreggor, a former classmate of Stewart, remembers him as a person who was full of life. "He had an outgoing personality, he was always laughing," she said.
Meanwhile, Dwayne Swaby, a classmate and friend of Bailey's, described him as a jovial person who was always relaxed and focused on his work.
"It is really surprising that Steve died in an accident because he was never one to drive at more than 40 miles per hour," he said.
"Jamaica has lost a brilliant mind. They say the good die young and I believe that this is proof of that," he added.
170 ROAD FATALITIES
This latest tragedy pushes the total number of road fatalities since the start of the year close to 170.
Senior Superintendent in charge of Traffic, Elan Powell said, "It is a continuation of the recklessness of our young men on the roads." This accident confirms the recent reports that 80 per cent of the accidents on our roads are caused by young men 18-35 years of age, the superintendent added.
