Two men have been charged in connection with a three-vehicle crash in Ocho Rios, St Ann, which claimed the lives of four teenagers on Saturday.
Akeem Palmer and Omarko Green were charged on Thursday following a question-and-answer session with investigators.
Palmer has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident, while Green faces those charges, along with perverting the course of justice.
Both men were offered station bail and are scheduled to appear in court on January 5, 2027.
Reports are that about 2:30 am on October 31, two Mercedes-Benz motor cars were travelling in a westerly direction when one overtook the other and collided with an oncoming Toyota Vitz along Bull Point main road, near Fisherman’s Beach and the entrance to Columbus Heights.
The drivers of both Mercedes-Benz vehicles reportedly removed the registration plates before fleeing the scene.
The police and fire brigade were summoned, and the occupants of the Toyota Vitz were taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The deceased have been identified as 17-year-old Shantana Leonard, of Cardiff Hall, Runaway Bay; 16-year-old Marcodine Maxwell; 15-year-old Rajani Abdul; and 16-year-old Kenneil Lyle, all of Mansfield Heights, Ocho Rios.
Leonard was reportedly driving the Toyota Vitz, while the other three teenagers were passengers.
Palmer and Green surrendered at the Ocho Rios Police Station on Monday, accompanied by their attorneys, after the police launched a search for the drivers of the two Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Investigators had obtained video footage of the collision as they sought to establish responsibility for the crash.
Senior Superintendent Carlos Russell, head of the St Ann Police Division, had said the vehicles were reportedly travelling at high speed, with one attempting to overtake the other before the collision.
The crash has renewed concerns about reckless driving and road fatalities in St Ann, which had recorded the highest number of road deaths among Jamaica’s parishes, according to figures from the Island Traffic Authority.
Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon described the loss of the four teenagers as heartbreaking and urged motorists to exercise greater responsibility on the roads.
As of November 5, Jamaica has recorded 251 fatal crashes, resulting in 293 lives lost, representing a nine per cent reduction compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
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