Several students had to be rushed to the Port Antonio hospital in Portland yesterday afternoon after a public passenger minibus in which they were travelling overturned at Bar Hill.
The incident, which occurred shortly before 5pm, has again raised concerns about the overloading of public passenger vehicles in the parish and careless driving by the operators.
One girl was seen unconscious at the scene, while another student suffered a broken foot.They remain in hospital.
It’s reported that 16 of the 22 students from the bus were treated and released.
The police say the driver was ticketed for the practice of having students sit in each other's lap.
The police also confirmed that the driver of the bus, which plies the Port Antonio to Morant Bay route, was racing with another public passenger bus driver.
One student told our correspondent that a dog ran into the path of the bus she was in and the driver swerved to avoid it but lost control of the vehicle.
The bus overturned in a ditch.
The Transport Authority has condemned the practice of operators who force commuters, including children, to sit in each other's laps - a practise which it described as illegal and inhumane.
It says operators caught overloading vehicles can be prosecuted and fined up to $50 thousand .
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