Teacher left bloodied after falling in open drain

An early childhood teacher said she intends to pursue legal action after falling into an uncovered drain last Friday.

Stephanie Edwards Ellis was walking along Main Street in Clarendon, in the vicinity of Fernleigh Avenue, when her foot slipped on the sidewalk and she fell into the drain.

"The blood was gushing out [of the leg] and I lost a lot of blood," she said, adding that a vendor went into a nearby pharmacy and got a rag and alcohol to help stem the flow.

Edwards Ellis said she was in pain the entire Friday night and when she awoke on Saturday, her body felt like a truck ran into it. She has since visited the doctor and got medication, however, she intends to pursue legal action against those responsible.

"I am going to be making a report. I am going the extra mile because things like this should not happen to people. It's a busy town in May Pen. The manhole is there. It should not be left open because children traverse [the area, and] elderly persons. So it should not be left open like that," she stated.

According to one vendor, the drain has been in its current state for the longest time.

"A whole heap a smady drop dung inna it. A years dis yah deh suh. Vehicle stuck inna it, people haffi push out van and car ... it nuh normal. So you know people a walk and dem nuh seet same way," he said. A female vendor said she is tired of the problem. After one vehicle got stuck, she said she had to call to get assistance for the driver.

"It waan fix ... mi tiad a it, dangerous, real real dangerous," she stressed.

Mayor of May Pen Winston Maragh said that although the drain falls under the portfolio of the National Works Agency (NWA), sometimes the Clarendon Municipal Corporation has to take on the cleaning. He said he spoke with Edwards Ellis and informed the parish manager, who advised him that Edwards Ellis should come to his office and make a formal report.

"We have couple of similar problems in the town and as soon as we find them, we bring them to the attention of the NWA. In the process with that you have to attend the office and fill out a formal complaint and they send it to Kingston," Maragh explained.

Attempts to get a response from Stephen Shaw, communication and customer services manager for the NWA proved futile.