Seven dead in Falmouth highway crash as Trelawny road toll climbs

Seven people are now confirmed dead after a two-vehicle collision on the Bogue Gate stretch of highway in Falmouth, Trelawny, authorities reported on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Five people were killed at the scene when a Toyota Regius bus and a Hino truck collided. A second patient who had been admitted to Falmouth General Hospital died of injuries on Friday morning, lifting the death toll to seven. The bus driver is said to be the only survivor. Names of those killed have not been released.

Investigators have not yet fully determined how the crash occurred and inquiries are ongoing. The latest deaths bring traffic fatalities in Trelawny since January to 21, up from 15 over the same period last year.

In St. Catherine, attorney Indymedia Walker was taken into custody on Friday after a confrontation during a sitting of the St. Catherine Parish Court. Walker objected when a case involving her client was sent to mediation, arguing the complainant was absent and that the dispute involved siblings. "Almost mediation be at the complaint not here and it's our brother and our sister matter. So call the complaint not as I wanted dealt with now," she said.

Acting Senior Parish Court Judge Janelle Nelson-Gayle warned that Walker's conduct was bordering on contempt. Walker pressed on, saying, "Officer, call the complaint not now. Please call her." Ordered to leave, she later returned and declared, "I'm paid to represent him." Police then restrained her outside the courtroom, escorted her back inside, and took her to the holding cells. "That's an unfair compound on this," she said while being led away. The judge assigned another lawyer to the matter and indicated Walker would be expected to apologise.

Separately, Jamaican nationals deported to Eswatini, including Alves and Miller, have said they want to rejoin their families in the United States. The US Department of Homeland Security has not explained why the men were sent to the African kingdom or whether any faced criminal charges in the United States. Alves was taken from his Florida home on January 11 and transferred to Eswatini this month. His wife, Joan, said he had lived in the United States for 44 years and served as a pastor for 25 years. She indicated he may have had legal trouble about 40 years ago but gave no details. In 2016 he received protection under the United Nations Convention against Torture and was required to report annually to US immigration.

Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith said Jamaica's High Commission in South Africa is still working to contact a third Jamaican in Eswatini, and that Kingston has sought information from Washington through the Jamaican Embassy. The ministry noted that when Jamaicans seek US entry citing fear of returning home, the United States is under no formal duty to notify Jamaica if they are later removed to third countries. Refugee advocates say people who claim torture or life-threatening risk may be offered removal to a third country instead.

Meanwhile, Portland Eastern Member of Parliament Asa Buchanan, opposition spokesperson on youth and human rights, condemned a circulating social media video that reportedly shows police officers assaulting a Toyota Coaster bus driver and another man and damaging their property. If accurate, he said, the footage raises serious concerns about use of force by the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

"The Jamaica Constabulary Force is mandated to serve, protect, and reassure. That mandate cannot coexist with conduct that appears to undermine public confidence, infringe upon the dignity of citizens, or suggest the unnecessary use of force," Buchanan said. He noted similar videos have recently stirred public alarm and called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation, with full accountability if wrongdoing is established.