The bus that crashed in Trelawny early Sunday, killing five people, was “speeding” because the occupants were late for a party, according to the head of a group representing public transport operators.
Egeton Newman, president of Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), said the occupants of the bus were mainly public transport operators who were travelling from Spanish Town in St. Catherine to a party in Hanover.
The police account of the crash was very similar.
Newman claimed that the bus, which was travelling at a “very fast speed,” failed to negotiate a turn and swerved to the right side of the roadway before crashing into a wall.
“They were going to a party and they were late for the party. At that time of the morning, the road is slippery and they were speeding. It’s reckless, reckless driving,” he told The Gleaner on Sunday.
They were all members of the public transportation sector, according to Newman, bringing to six the number of operators killed in crashes.
Six people remain in hospital, according to Newman.
“The sector is in darkness. A very sad moment,” the TODSS president said.
– Livern Barrett