PNP's Peart crashes Labourite party as bus 'changes course'

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Saturday | July 28, 2007

By: Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

A bus transporting Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) supporters "changed course" suddenly on Highway 2000, in the vicinity of Old Harbour, just before midnight on Thursday, colliding with a Toyota Prado Land Cruiser, driven by Local Government Minister Dean Peart.

The driver of the bus was taking home JLP supporters from a rally in May Pen, Clarendon.

A little shaken, Mr. Peart told The Gleaner minutes after the accident that he was travelling along the highway in the left lane when the bus swerved unexpectedly into the path of his vehicle causing a collision.

But Mr. Peart seized the moment to poke fun at his political opponents when he said: "It was because di man change course why we have the accident."

Police at the scene told The Gleaner that many motorists turn off the highway near Old Harbour and reverse on to the one-way designed to connect motorists from the town to the highway.

This practice, according to the police, is done to avoid the payment of the toll fee.

JLP candidate for St. Catherine South West, Everald Warmington arrived at the scene of the accident to lend support to both Mr. Peart and members of his party, but he got involved in a brawl.

Derogatory remark

Mr. Warmington was in discussion with the driver of the bus enquiring why he had travelled this route to take home his supporters. But while Mr. Warmington was in dialogue with the bus driver, a supporter of the party made a derogatory remark about his mother.

This triggered a physical reaction from a visibly upset Mr. Warmington who went after the man and a developed.

Other supporters of the party moved swiftly and restrained the two after tempers flared.

More than half an hour later JLPleader Bruce Golding and other party officials, including Desmond McKenzie, who were returning home from the May Pen rally stopped on the highway and expressed regret at the accident and offered support to Mr. Peart and other persons.