Police vehicle overturns on woman killing her
A shattered light pole, broken glass and scattered motor vehicle fragments along a section of the Belle Isle Road in Grange Hill, Westmoreland, told the tragic story a bizarre crash that claimed the life of Aneita Swearing on Saturday.
The 41-year-old woman died after a police service vehicle got out of control and hit her as she made her way home. Eyewitnesses say the unit was being driven at high speed in pursuit of a motor cyclist.
Reports from the Savanna-la-mar police are that about 1 p.m., a police service vehicle involved was travelling behind a motor cycle, which had eluded them. The police said the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided into a utility pole and overturned on Swearing, who was walking along the roadway. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
In the community of Belle Isle, Swearing's untimely death has left her close friends and family members shaken. Her common-law husband, Kenrick Forrester, said she was returning from Savanna-la-Mar when tragedy struck.
"It's a very sad death that my girlfriend got, she didn't deserve to die, much less to lose her life in a motor vehicle accident," said Forrester said.
"The vehicle mashed up my wife and kill her, leaving me in pain. Now I don't know what to do," Forrester said while fighting back his tears.
He told THE STAR that Swearing has called Belle Isle home for the past seven years. He said that she went to collect some money at Western Union in Savanna-la-Mar was returning home when she lost her life. He said his girlfriend was very quiet and was well-loved.
"I have not been able to sleep. The house feels empty because my girlfriend never came home," he added.
Data from the Road Safety Unit in the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport indicates that 272 persons have lost their lives as a result of road crashes as at September 1. Pedestrians (57) account for 21 per cent of the deaths.