Traffic mishap victim laid to rest

The colour red was on full display as family members, friends, and well-wishers of 23-year-old Amael Clarke packed into the spacious Valley Christian Ministries church along Windsor Valley Road in Spanish Town to bid farewell to a young man whom they say personified love during his time on the Earth.

Tribute after tribute painted the deceased man, who died on March 14 along the Portmore leg of Highway 2000, as a person who was full of love and expressed in every way possible to his family and friends daily.

As a demonstration of the love he once displayed, his casket had a distinct red and white colour scheme, while most of his family members and friends were adorned in some form of red apparel or had the colour red attached.

Aurelia Berwise, an elder sister, in eulogising him, described Clarke as the most loving, handsome, and fashionable human being, who had an infectious personality.

According to her that love extends to his over 15,000 TikTok fans.

"He developed a love for the social media platform TikTok and would stay up to entertain all 14,000 followers he had on the platform, under the tree, in the night air, young, and old he would stay up to entertain them," she said.

Family friend Jomo Grey, in remembering the former Eltham High School student, said he had infectious personality.

"If Amael come into a room with 100 persons, before he leaves he would have a positive impact on everyone," Grey said.

He further described the deceased Clarke as a superhuman who had the potential to improve his status in life and carved out a bright future for himself.

Reports from the Ferry police are that Clarke was standing on the step of a Toyota Coaster bus, which was travelling along the highway towards Spanish Town with its door open. He fell from the vehicle and was ran over by the rear wheel. Another Toyota Coaster bus that was travelling behind, also ran him over.

In a simple sermon that lasted for less than 10 minutes, Bishop Antonio Grant implored the mourners to seek Christ before it's too late, suggesting that it can't be done when one is in a casket.