Garvey Maceo students hurt in Clarendon bus crash as national concerns dominate midday news

Several students from Garvey Maceo High School in Clarendon were injured Wednesday morning after the Coaster bus carrying them crashed along the Bustamante Highway about 8:00. Eyewitnesses initially suggested the driver went through a red light, while the driver, speaking off camera, told CVM News the vehicle’s brakes failed.

School officials said none of the students suffered life-threatening injuries. Parents were contacted and later went to May Pen Hospital, where the students were receiving treatment and undergoing X-rays. The crash came a day after Garvey Maceo celebrated victory in the ISSA under-16 rural high school boys’ cricket competition.

In labour news, operations at the National Works Agency could be affected after close to 80 employees, represented by the Jamaica Civil Service Association, raised concerns over salary anomalies and job security. NWA chief executive officer Everton Hunter was said to be aware of the matter, with a meeting being arranged.

St. Thomas representatives also renewed alarm over flood-prone communities ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season. One municipal representative said recent flooding in the central district had gone unanswered by state agencies, despite protests and discussions about dredging near the river mouth at Fort Brant.

PNP Women president and spokesperson Patricia Duncan Sutherland criticised fatal police shootings, especially the recent incident in Granville, St. James. She said police must not act as “judge, jury, and executioner,” and urged witnesses and residents to cooperate with INDECOM.

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie also addressed the 2026 Jamaica Fire Brigade intake, reminding new recruits that firefighters serve as first responders to fires, crashes, medical emergencies and other crises.

Later, consultant paediatrician Dr. Aloa Tumilayo Bewaji Edopa warned that Jamaican children are facing mounting mental health pressures from violence, bullying, school stress, family instability and social media. She urged parents, schools and policymakers to provide stronger support, reduce stigma and take suicidal thoughts seriously.