IN JAMAICA: Grief in Roehampton, Two crushed Grief in Roehampton by truck in St James community....The two have been identified as 68-year-old bar operator Sadie Kerr, also called 'Neva', and Junior Lawrence.

BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com  Saturday, November 29, 2014

ROEHAMPTON, St James — Up to late yesterday evening, residents of this normally quiet farming community were still grappling with the death of two community members who were crushed by a truck that slammed into a bar where they were Thursday night.

The wreckage

The two have been identified as 68-year-old bar operator Sadie Kerr, also called 'Neva', and Junior Lawrence.

Four other people — the truck driver and his two sons and another patron at the bar -- were seriously injured and taken to hospital.

Reports are that about 7:00 pm Thursday, the driver who had just used the truck to deliver water to residents in the community, was descending a hill when he lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle slammed into the concrete building which housed the bar before overturning.

The impact of the collision caused the building to collapse. Kerr and Lawrence were pinned under the ruins of the flattened structure. A wrecker was used to remove the bodies from under the ruins.

The Jamaica Observer was told that the patron who was injured suffered two fractured legs after he jumped from the building in an attempt to save his life.

Yesterday, distraught residents directed their anger at the National Water Commission, arguing that the incident was as a result of the water company's failure to provide the company with water.

"We need water. He (truck driver) was taking water in the community. It is because of the water problem why this happen. It is a disgrace, because of water. We need water. We are decent citizens living here, we need water," the residents cried. more