St. ANDREW , JAMAICA: In PAPINE physically challenged man, Marlon King, a 39-year-old resident and artist from Cheshire Village crushed to death by JUTC bus.... Utility poles on sidewalk caused accident, residents say. "This is an accident that could have been avoided," said an irate Karen Brown

Friday, January 30, 2015 

TRAGEDY struck yesterday in Papine, St Andrew, when a physically challenged man was crushed to death by a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus.

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Police reports are that about 1:00 pm, Marlon King, a 39-year-old resident and artist from Cheshire Village -- a tiny community located in Mona for the physically challenged -- was travelling along Golden Avenue, a road that runs close to the University of the West Indies hospital, when he was struck from his wheelchair. Reports are that the body of the victim was dragged several metres away from the mangled remains of his wheelchair by the State-owned bus.

"Have mercy, all now me can't believe what happen. The man was travelling along the road when all of a sudden mi hear the loud crash. When mi look is the body mi see behind the bus," a woman, who claimed she was an eyewitness told the Jamaica Observer.

Investigators gather evidence

She stood among the hundreds of onlookers who gathered at the accident scene where the remains of Lewis laid in a pool of blood.

The gruesome sight left teachers and students at a nearby school traumatised.

Yesterday, as news of the tragedy began to circulate, members from the disabled community reacted in anger.

"This is an accident that could have been avoided," said an irate Karen Brown, also a resident from the Cheshire Village. more