Jamaica: 5 dead, 15 injured in bus crash on East-West Highway

Jamaica: At least five people were killed and 15 others fatally injured after a public passenger bus experienced mechanical failure and crashed along the Vineyard leg of the East-West Highway on Wednesday afternoon.

According to police reports, Dr. Lucien Jones, the vice chair of the National Road Safety Council. The fatal accident involving a Toyota Hiace minibus, a public transport vehicle took place around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

As  the minibus was travelling in the eastbound lane, when the tire of the bus blew out, causing the bus to spin out, hit a guard rail, flip several times off the road before overturning into a ditch a few hundred metres before the Vineyard Toll Booth.

The injured were then taken to the Spanish Town Hospital where the deaths of the 5 were confirmed by the Chief executive officer (CEO) of the hospital, Jacqueline Ellis who also stated that 15 passengers remain under medical examinations.

Jones argued the accident caused so many injuries because it hit the guard rail and flipped several times after the passenger minibus’s tire blew out. But the question whether the vehicle was travelling at high speed, remains unknown until further investigations.

She concluded by urging motorists to exercise caution when travelling on the road by adhering to the nation's roadway speed limits that are already set.

Following the Wednesday afternoon fatal crash, transport Minister Daryl Vaz also urged all motorists and roadway users to exercise heightened caution when driving or walking  on the road especially during the holiday season, as a split second of mechanical failure on the road can cause fateful repercussions.

The transport minister expressed that his heart and prayers goes to the families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones or awaiting anxiously on the news of their loved ones , stating that the ministry is with them as they are committed to fully supporting the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.

Minister Vaz called upon citizens to stop circulating graphic images and videos of the accident out of respect for the families of all that were involved in the crash.

Investigations into the circumstances of the fatal accident have been launched, Jamaica has so far recorded 297 fatal collisions across the island that have resulted in a total of 337 deaths, of persons that have been killed in fatal road accidents as on November 26, 2025.