Light post saves church from truck

A MoBay pastor is thanking God and a concrete light post for preventing a fire truck from damaging his church and possibly hurting his congregants.

Yesterday, a Jamaica Fire Brigade truck which was coming up Market Street from the direction of Sam Sharpe Square, in the tourist capital, slammed head-on into a grey Mini Cooper Countryman, which was passing through the intersection from the direction of King Street.

Following the initial collision, the fire truck then hit two other cars parked nearby before crashing into a concrete light post. Four other cars parked near the light post also sustained damage.

CONCRETE LIGHT POST

Pastor Philemon Samuels, whose Fresh Bread Ministry is located on a building close to the accident site, noted that the fire truck could have ploughed right into the building if not for the light post.

"We were inside the building and we heard a loud sound outside, so we came outside to see what was happening. If that concrete light post was not there, the truck would have come into our church building, so I am eternally grateful," said Samuels.

The drama unfolded at approximately 2:15 p.m. Fortunately, there were no reports of casualties, although the drivers were taken to hospital.

Taxi operator Robert McKenzie, whose car was one of the nine damaged vehicles, said he was close by his vehicle at the time of the crash.

"I was on the taxi stand where I load on, and the fire truck was coming full speed ahead with the siren on, but it was on the red light. The grey vehicle (Mini Cooper) was on the green light and coming across and it did not stop, and it collided into the fire truck, and the truck swung over and hit my vehicle," said McKenzie.