Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

A PALL of gloom hung over the St. James football community yesterday with news that yet another promising footballer from the region died after a motor vehicle accident.

The latest victim is Jamaica Under-20 invitee Orane Sterling who had been a patient at the Kingston Public Hospital for more than three weeks before passing away on Monday.

Omroy Wilson, a student of Cornwall College, died in May following a motor vehicle accident while Steve Malcolm and Winston Anglin were others who met a similar fate.

Sterling's father, Ronald, trying his best to compose himself, told The Gleaner that his son passed away at 10:00a.m.

"What I have been told is that he passed away at 10:00 this morning. I do not have any details but I have an appointment for 8:00 o'clock tomorrow with the doctor who pronounced him," he said with his voice breaking.

Head injuries

Seventeen-year-old Sterling, a former student of Herbert Morrison, suffered head injuries in the accident on August 6 and has been a patient at the Kingston Public Hospital since. Over the weekend his father expressed hope that his son would recover as he had come out of a coma a few days before and was somewhat responsive.

'Orane's condition has improved. He has been out of a coma since Monday of last week and is out of intensive care, which is a positive as far as I am concerned," the elder Sterling told The Star at the weekend.

News of his passing was difficult to deal with, especially for his former coach at Catherine Hall, Garfield Anderson.

"When I heard the news this morning I felt weak. Something just came over ... a feeling I could not describe but as they say, the Lord knows best," said Anderson.