Drama as truck rams house

Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer

A teenage householder escaped death after a water truck smashed into a house in Top Hill, St Catherine, yesterday,

However, the driver, 49-year-old Franklyn Hunter, also from Top Hill, sustained injuries to his head, feet and shoulder was rushed to a private doctor by a family member.

The 'sideman', 24-year-old Oraine Henry, who was on the back of the truck, managed to jump from the vehicle before it crashed.

"Is like him pass with the front and the back wheel slide of right in the soft shoulder and it go over on the house," a nervous Henry told The Gleaner.

At the time of the accident, only one of the seven occupants, the sideman's sister, Shanette Henry, was at home.

"I was in the house sleeping and I heard a noise and a jerk and a call and somebody take off the back door and I jumped through the back door," a frightened Shanette Henry, 17, said.

Rescue bid

In the meantime, Donavan Lawes, who reacted quickly to the crash and rescued Shanette, explained what transpired.

"The driver come and him up top giving out water, so the whole a we was there and a laugh until him say him a go leave. ... Him drive off and a come down the hill, me hear bluff ... .

"When me run come down, me come come see the road tear off and the truck rest pon the house ... . Me hear somebody a bawl inna the house. Me see one o' dem at the window and me climb up on the side o' the house and kick off the side door and take her through it," he said.

Lawes said it was the second time that an accident occurred at the same spot. He claimed that the St Catherine Parish Council had promised to erect a wall at the accident spot after the first crash.

Meanwhile, the driver's sister, Debsy Hunter, was upset at what she said was the slow response of the police.

"Is a long time now we having this problem up here and is only when something gone bad them come up here.

"I call the police and them say that them don't have any vehicle to come up here and is walk I walk from Riversdale come up here and them say that police can't walk and they are worthless down there."