Students killed in Clarendon crash

As Carla Morgan passed the deadly wreckage of a crash on Bustamante Highway yesterday in the York Town area of Clarendon, a chill ran down her spine.

Even though she had no idea who was involved in the crash, as if by some sixth sense, she asked the driver to stop so she could take a closer look, but he declined. Sadly, her 'vibes' proved to be correct, as about 30 minutes later, a frantic Morgan rushed to the May Pen Hospital after learning that her nephew, 12-year-old Richard Tulloch had been badly injured in the crash. Throughout the nail-biting journey to the hospital, she prayed that his life would be spared. But upon arrival, she got the devastating news that he succumbed to his injuries.

"Is Mocho mi live and when mi a come, mi see the accident and although mi nuh have no pickney a go school, mi beg the driver to stop let mi see but he didn't. Mi never know mi nephew dead and is when mi reach a work mi get the call and mi jump up and drop and burst mi mouth. Mi can't believe, eno. Is mi bredda only child and him in Cayman and mi don't even know how to break the news to him," she said.

Tulloch and Jodi-Ann Lodge, 16, both students of Lennon High School in Clarendon, were killed in the two-vehicle crash that injured three other persons. The Corporate Communications Unit reported that about 8:30 a.m., a Subaru Impreza was travelling westward towards Four Paths. It is alleged that the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with an Isuzu motor truck, which caused it to overturn and crash into a Toyota Probox. The police were summoned and five passengers were taken to the hospital where Tulloch and Lodge succumbed to their injuries. The police reported that speeding played a role in the crash.

"I saw my nephew last week. I was heading into a taxi and him see mi and tell mi that him fare lost and mi did only have $1,000 on mi and mi give him $200 to pay him fare. Richard was a nice little boy, eno. Him just reach first form and him full a manners. Him little life just gone just like that. Imagine yuh send yuh kids to school and dem nuh come back home," Morgan said.

Marcus Lodge, Jodi-Ann's father, stared aimlessly as he stood outside the hospital grounds. Just minutes earlier, he experienced his worst nightmare as he watched porters push a stretcher carrying his daughter's body. Hours earlier, the grade 11 student bid him goodbye as she left for school. The teenager was reportedly flung from the vehicle.

"I saw her last about after 7 a.m. She left out the house before mi go work because mi bredren drop dem a May Pen a morning time and she take taxi from school to there suh. She is not a little girl who give trouble a school or anything. Mi deh work and get a call say mi daughter meet inna accident, but mi never did a expect death. Mi never expect say she woulda dead," Lodge said.

As relatives of the deceased and the injured gathered outside the accident and emergency (A&E) area of the hospital yesterday, mournful screams pierced the air. Several relatives cried uncontrollably until they passed out. Tempers also flared as loved ones of the injured tried to gain updates and access to the A&E area while those on the outside threw blame at the cab driver and the members of the Transport Authority, who it is alleged were trying to stop the Subaru which was reportedly operating illegally as a taxi. The police and the Transport Authority have launched investigations into the incident.

"Why the driver never just stop instead a speed? None a dis wouldn't happen at all. We have to think about others and at the same time, nobody nuh wah lose dem vehicle, and the transport people dem nah leave people alone," one woman said. "Both a dem to be blame. When mi go out there and see the little girl lay down in the road dead, mi feel like sumpn did ago burst inna mi head. Mi don't know how mi ago sleep because it hurt mi bad."

The driver of the Subabru motorcar fled the scene, and the police launched a manhunt. He was held hours later at the Norman Manley International Airport attempting to leave the island.