KINGSTON, Jamaica — There was one fatality in a major accident that occurred along the PJ Patterson Highway yesterday. Four other persons were seriously injured. 

Video footage emerged of the carnage with bleeding commuters strewn over the grassy rise while passers-by helped others from the wreckage of the overturned coaster bus. There was one body that lay lifeless on the road, reportedly the driver of the Nissan Tiida involved in the accident. 

Reports are that about 12:40 pm, a Toyota Coaster bus and a Nissan Tiida were in the eastbound lane when the crash happened near the Spanish Town exit in the vicinity of the March Pen Bridge.

Eyewitness reports are that a car lost its bumper and was reversing along the thoroughfare when he bus collided with the car. The bus overturned resulting in many persons being badly injured. The bus reportedly plies the St Elizabeth to Kingston route. 

Read: Bus overturns in major crash on PJ Patterson Highway, multiple injuries

There were approximately 30 people aboard the bus at the time of the accident.

There have been 25 fatalities from road crashes across Jamaica since the start of the year.

Egerton Newman, President of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services, TODSS, expressed sadness at the loss of life. 

“We express our condolences to the family of the man who died; it was an unfortunate accident. But how can you be reversing in the middle of a major thoroughfare? The man could have easily walked back to pick up his bumper. Reports are that he was turning the car around as well…the passengers said that it was the bus driver’s skill in causing the crash to unfold the way it did why there were no fatalities in the bus,” Newman said.  

Newman said that there is a common misconception that PPV drivers cause the most fatalities on the nation’s roads. 

“People feel that once a PPV is involved, they blame the PPV, however, taxi and bus operators cause the least amount of fatalities. Yes, they are indisciplined and they cause quite a number of fender-benders, but they cause less than one per cent of fatalities, there are only six to seven fatalities caused by PPV operators and the stats are there to prove it,” Newman said.