By Damion Mitchell, Staff Reporter 
Firemen of the St. Catherine Fire Brigade and civillians assist in removing dead bodies from this wrecked Toyota Corolla motor car which crashed into a Leyland truck in Kent Village, Bog Walk, yesterday morning. Six persons died, while another was hospitalised in critical condition. - Photo By Constabulary Communication Network
GRIEF GRIPPED the community of Kent Village in Bog Walk, St. Catherine, yesterday where six people were killed in a motor vehicle accident in the wee hours of the morning.
The tragedy struck about 4:30 a.m. when a Toyota Corolla station wagon with seven persons aboard, slammed into a Leyland truck, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
Four of the passengers of the motorcar, which was heading to Spanish Town from Linstead, died on the spot with another two succumbing to their injuries at hospital. The seventh passenger, Marion McLean, 47, was hospitalised in a critical condition up to late yesterday evening.
When The Gleaner arrived on the accident scene, the mangled car, with the four lifeless bodies was being taken to the
Bog Walk Police Station where personnel from the Jamaica Fire Brigade worked tirelessly to cut them from the wreckage.
Those who died have been identified as Hubert Thomas, of Golden Road, Kingston, the driver of the motor car; Aldice Johnson, 48, of a Linstead address; Ann Marie Gordon, 49, and Michael Lewin, 32, both of Cotton Piece, St. Catherine; Holness Benjamin, 47, of Buckson Town and Marva McFarlane, 46, of Coghiel, all in St. Catherine.
Sgt. Steve Brown, of the Constabulary Communication Network, told The Gleaner that the police were not sure of the details of the accident, but said it was evident that excessive speeding was a contributing factor.
There were reports that the driver of the motor car had swerved to his right to avoid a large puddle of water when he collided with the Leyland truck which transports chickens for Jamaica Broilers.
The driver of the truck was treated at hospital and released.
Meanwhile, relatives of at least one of those killed are still in shock.
"Mi can't believe," said Veronica Barnes, a cousin of Miss Graham as she stared listlessly, while undertakers removed Miss Graham's body from the wreckage.
Miss Graham, mother of seven, was heading to the market with her partner Michael Lewin, to sell callaloo when the accident occurred.
And one man who identified himself as Miss Graham's son-in-law, said for the past three weeks his daughter has been saying her grandmother was going to die. "I even had to slap her on Friday and tell her not to say that," he said, adding that he was shocked to hear the sad news this morning.
In the meantime, the police are appealing to motorists to drive with extreme caution.
