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

A head-on collision on Trelawny's North Coast Highway killed seven people Friday morning, leaving relatives of 23-year-old Theodore Hudson devastated beside the wreckage.

The crash happened about 7:45 a.m. at Bur Gate when a Toyota Regius struck an oncoming Hino truck. Police said the Toyota drifted into the wrong lane before impact. Five men died at the scene and two more died at Falmouth Public General Hospital. Another man remained hospitalised in serious condition. The surviving driver tested negative for alcohol. Investigations are continuing.

Susan Harris pleaded with funeral workers not to handle her son's body roughly as they lifted him away. "Don't give anybody too rough," she said. Her sister stood nearby in tears, while another grieving mother rolled on the ground in anguish and had to be helped from the scene.

Harris, mother of four sons and describing Theodore as her third child, said he had left home only hours earlier. "He was loving," she recalled through tears. "He would kiss me and trouble me just to make me laugh." She also spoke of a troubling dream the night before that she now links to the tragedy. Relatives' calls to her daughter's phone after word of the crash went unanswered until someone picked up and said nothing; police later confirmed the family's fears.

In Westmoreland, detectives charged 32-year-old farmer Davian Bailey of Amity District with motor vehicle larceny after a Saturday, June 20 incident. Savanna-la-Mar police said Bailey allegedly asked to borrow a motorcycle valued at about J$100,000, was refused a loan but offered a ride, then drove off with the bike when the complainant stepped away during a roadside stop. His court date is being finalised.

In Kingston, Raheem Cunningham, 18, of Wellman Street; Jordan Winter, 18, of Rum Lane; and a minor were charged over the June 23 shooting of a taxi operator on Duke Street. Central police said about 1:30 p.m. the driver heard a loud explosion, felt a burning sensation on the right side of his chest, crashed into a parked vehicle, and the three fled on foot. The victim was treated and 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.

Ronald Maxwell was fined J$14,000 at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court after pleading guilty to unlawful parking, indecent language and disorderly conduct at Norman Manley International Airport on March 22, 2026. Judge Peter Wilson imposed J$10,000 or three days for parking and J$2,000 or three days each for the other offences, warning him not to repeat the behaviour.

In Nassau County, Long Island, six Jamaican men were arrested after a 14-month investigation into gun trafficking and drug offences: Robert Petgrave, 30, and Andrew Petgrave, 37, both of Queens; Clayton Solomon, 48, of Elmont and Laurelton; Shaheed Folks, 25, of Queens; Raheem Smith, 22, of Jamaica, Queens; and Jamar Perry, 35, of Springfield Gardens. Authorities said they recovered 47 firearms, one kilogram of cocaine and 150 grams of heroin, with some guns linked to shootings in Suffolk County and Alabama. About 100 counts across 13 offences were filed. Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly called it one of the largest gun trafficking cases she had seen in her 37 years in office, saying any of the nearly 50 guns could cause untold harm. Officials alleged Smith, Folks and Perry are in the United States illegally and are believed linked to a Jamaica-based gang. Further arrests and charges remain possible.

In St. Catherine, two Asian men were detained Thursday after arriving by boat near Bushy Park, Old Harbour. Senior Superintendent Leighton Gray of St. Catherine South police said they were found hiding in bushes following an 8:30 a.m. report of a vessel offshore. Early findings indicated the craft left Haiti for the United States, ran into trouble, and the two went ashore seeking food for others still aboard. Police said a larger group that may have included women and children was reported; investigations continue.