Seven die in Trelawny crash as mother begs for gentle handling of son's body

Seven men are dead after a Toyota Raize collided with a Hino truck on the north coast highway at Bogue, Trelawny, about 7:45 a.m. on Friday. Police said the Toyota drifted onto the wrong side of the road while travelling toward St. Ann and struck the truck head-on.

Five men died at the scene. Two others later died at Falmouth Public General Hospital. A further man remained in hospital in serious condition. The surviving driver tested negative for alcohol. Investigators are continuing their probe into what officials described as one of Trelawny's deadliest road crashes in recent years.

Among the dead was 23-year-old Theodor Hudson. His mother, Susan Harris, watched funeral workers lift his body and pleaded that they not handle him roughly. Standing only feet away, she struggled to stay upright. Nearby, another bereaved mother collapsed to the ground in tears and had to be helped away.

Harris said Theodor, her third child and one of four sons, had left home only hours earlier. "He was loving," she said through tears. "He would kiss me and trouble me just to make me laugh." She also recalled a troubling dream the night before that she now believes foreshadowed the loss. Relatives who heard of the smash repeatedly called his phone; the calls went unanswered until someone finally answered and said nothing. Police later confirmed the family's fears.

In Westmoreland, detectives charged 32-year-old farmer Davian Bailey of Amit District with larceny of a motor vehicle after a Saturday, June 20 incident. Savanna-la-Mar police said Bailey allegedly asked to borrow a motorcycle valued at about $100,000, was refused, accepted a lift instead, then drove off when the owner stepped away during a roadside stop. His court date is being set.

In Kingston, three males — including a minor — were charged over the June 23 shooting of a taxi operator on Duke Street. Named are 18-year-old Raheem Cunningham of Wellman Street and 18-year-old Jayen Winter of Rumble, Kingston, plus the minor. Central police said the men posed as passengers about 1:30 p.m.; the driver heard an explosion and felt a burn to the right side of his chest, lost control, and hit a parked vehicle. The suspects fled on foot. The victim was admitted to hospital. Charges include possession of a prohibited weapon, wounding with intent, and using a firearm to commit a felony. They are due in Gun Court on Friday, July 24.

Ron Maxwell was fined $14,000 after pleading guilty at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court to unlawful parking, indecent language, and disorderly conduct at Norman Manley International Airport on March 22, 2026. Judge Peter Wilson warned him against a repeat. The fines were $10,000 or three days for parking, and $2,000 or three days each for the other offences.

In Nassau County, Long Island, six Jamaican men were arrested after a 14-month gun-trafficking and narcotics probe: Robert Pegrave, 30, and Andrea Pegrave, 37, both of Queens; Clayton Solomon, 48, of Elmont/Laurelton; Shahid Folks, 25, of Queens; Ryan Smith, 22, of Jamaica, Queens; and Jamari Puri, 35, of Springfield Gardens. Authorities said they seized 47 firearms, including high-capacity magazines, one kilogram of cocaine, and 150 grams of heroin, with guns linked to shootings in Suffolk County and Alabama. Smith, Folks, and Puri are alleged to be in the United States illegally and tied to a Jamaica-based gang. The six face about 100 counts across 13 offences. Nassau County District Attorney Annie Donnelly called it one of the largest gun-trafficking cases she has seen in 37 years; County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the takedown was of historic scale. More arrests and charges remain possible.

In St. Catherine, two Haitian nationals were detained Thursday after arriving by boat near Bushy Park harbour. Senior Superintendent Leighton Gray of St. Catherine South police said the men were found hiding in bushes and identified by Haitian passports. Police were alerted about 8:30 a.m. to a vessel with people aboard; a later search, aided by residents, led to the arrests. Preliminary findings indicate the craft left Haiti for the United States, ran into trouble, and that only the two men went ashore to seek food for others still on board, including women and children.