3 vehicle crash in Trelawny claims lives of 5

Three persons remain in hospital in critical condition, following a fatal accident along the Falmouth bypass, in the vicinity of Zion in Trelawny early this morning (June 8).

Five persons were also killed in the collision, which involved a motor car, an SUV and a minibus.

Dead are 47-year-old masseuse Marion Johnson of Discovery Bay, St. Ann, 25-year-old waitress, Alicia Hussey of Brown’s Town, St. Ann, 23-year-old truck driver, Odaine Mullings of  St. Elizabeth and St. Ann, 21-year-old entertainer, Roxroy McKenzie of St. Catherine and, 44-year-old taxi driver, Fitzroy Hawthorne of Kinlock District, Clarks Town, Trelawny.

Ms. Johnson's son, 18-year-old Joel Moses, remains in hospital along with 27-year-old Kemeisha Pottinger of Exchange, St. Ann and the driver of the SUV, 25-year-old Mark Amos of Kingston.

The five dead were among seven in the Toyota Caldina motor car.

Reports are that the driver of a left-hand driver ford explorer SUV, was heading towards Montego Bay, when he was attempting to overtake a bus, which was transporting tourists.

The ford explorer hit the bus and slammed into the Toyota caldina motor car, which was heading in the opposite direction, towards Ocho Rios.

Head of the Traffic Division Senior Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis says the motor car was being operated as a robot taxi.

SSP Lewis is appealing to drivers of left hand drive vehicles to exercise caution when overtaking.

Meanwhile, the family and friends of Marion Johnson, one of the five who died in this morning's accident, are finding it hard to accept the reality.

Ms. Johnson is from Corner Street in Discovery Bay, St. Ann.

She and her daughter, Alicia Hussey and her son Joel Moses were all travelling back to St. Ann in the caldina motorcar.

They were returning from the celebration of Ms. Johnson's birthday at a Montego Bay hotel.

Now she is dead, her daughter from Standfast, also in St. Ann, is dead, and her son who was travelling with them is in serious condition in hospital.

When Irie FM News visited the area today (June 8), friends and family were in a sombre mood.

Some remembered Ms. Johnson as an ambitious woman.