Two vehicles collided at the junction of Lamaha and Main streets resulting in the death of a pedal cyclist yesterday.
Lennox Jacobs, 43, of 48 High Street, Kingston was riding his cycle south on High Street when he was hit. Both drivers have denied hitting Jacobs.
The man sustained head injuries and passed away last night.
The accident involved a Route 45 minibus, which had been going north along Main Street and was turning east to enter Lamaha Street and a Rav 4, which was heading south along High Street. They collided at the junction.
The minibus toppled on its side on impact while the Rav 4 came to a halt on Lamaha Street. The minibus was carrying a full load at the time but only a few persons sustained minor injuries.
“You could imagine the speed he was coming with for him to topple over when he ran into me. He had to have been coming at top speed because I did not even see him until he was in my face,” the driver of the Rav 4 said at the scene.
The man who is a police officer said the pedal cyclist was riding in the same direction as he was and when the man approached the junction the minibus came out of nowhere and hit him.
But the minibus driver is denying that he hit Jacobs. He said the police officer was clearly not paying attention because he had already turned when the Rav 4 hit his minibus from the side before running into the pedal cyclist. He said the collision caused his minibus to topple over.
An eyewitness at scene said the Rav 4 driver was responsible for hitting the pedal cyclist.
“I see he hit de man and then knock de bus. Is watching I watching all de time and now people saying de bus wrong. I went here all de time and I run over and help de man who get knock,” the eyewitness related.
Persons gathered at the scene commented how the minibus drivers would usually use the junction carelessly. This angered a group of minibus drivers and conductors present since they felt the public was always ready to condemn them whenever an accident occurred.
Police recovered several beer bottles at the scene which reportedly came from the minibus.
