One-Minute Reads: News from across Jamaica

Wanted man captured

Swift action by the St Mary police resulted in the capture of a man wanted for murder in the Kingston East Division during an early morning operation yesterday.

Acting on credible intelligence, lawmen conducted a series of targeted raids between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. within the Islington police area. During the operation, Kerrin Bailey, a 32-year-old office administrator of Liguanea, Kingston 6, and resident of Sport Road, Islington, St Mary, was apprehended. Investigations are ongoing.

Percy Junor Hospital gets supplies

The Percy Junor Hospital in Manchester has received a donation of supplies from newly formed US-based diaspora foundation Right Now For Jamaica.

The items, valued at US$30,000 (approximately J$4.67 million), include forceps, bandages, syringes with needles, baby diapers and incontinence pads, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Also donated were 15 computers, several tablets, furniture for patient and administrative areas, a fridge, filing cabinets and desks. The foundation was established to support the country's rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Its founders are Manchester natives, Dr Maurice Miles and his wife Dr Trudy Hall Miles.

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador Audrey Marks, in her remarks at last Friday's handover ceremony held at the hospital, expressed gratitude to the founders. She informed that the team is also sourcing critical equipment, including adult and paediatric ventilators, electrocardiogram machines and a dialysis machine in response to needs.

JUTC bus, private motor car collide

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) said its Accident Investigation Team and the police are investigating a collision involving one of its buses and a private motor vehicle yesterday in St Elizabeth.

The JUTC, in a release, said that the collision occurred at approximately 7:10 a.m. There were no reported injuries to the JUTC driver or passengers. One passenger, a student, was transported to the Black River Hospital for medical assessment. The driver of the private motor vehicle sustained injuries and was also transported to the hospital. The JUTC said the bus and the private motor vehicle sustained damage.

The entity said that further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

JFB responded to fewer crashes in 2025

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reporting a noticeable reduction in the number of motor vehicle crashes responded to in 2025.

Speaking with JIS News recently, JFB Commissioner Stewart Beckford said that it responded to 947 motor vehicle crashes in 2025, a reduction of 188 incidents, when compared to the 1,135 crashes recorded in 2024. Beckford noted that while the overall decline is encouraging, unsafe driving behaviours remain a major concern.

"We continue to see troubling trends on our roads, including improper overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and a general disregard for personal and public safety. These behaviours significantly increase the risk of crashes, injuries, and fatalities," Beckford said.

A breakdown of the data shows that the Westmoreland Division recorded the highest number of crashes, with 288 incidents, or 30.5 per cent of all crashes responded to by the JFB. This is a 32 per cent reduction when compared to the 428 crashes recorded in the division in 2024. St James was next with 130 incidents - a 10 per cent decrease from the 145 crashes responded to in 2024. Portland recorded the lowest number of crashes, with nine incidents, accounting for one per cent of the total.

The JFB is encouraging motorists to obey traffic laws, avoid impaired driving, and practise defensive driving, noting that sustained improvements in road safety require responsible behaviour from all road users.