Two Men Charged After Ocho Rios Crash Kills Four Teenagers
Akeem Palmer and Omarko Green face charges including perverting the course of justice after a three-vehicle crash in Ocho Rios claimed four teenage lives.
Drivers Charged Over Fatal Ocho Rios Collision That Claimed Four Young Lives
Two men have been charged in connection with a three-vehicle crash along Bull Point main road in Ocho Rios, St Ann, that killed four teenagers on 31 October, jamaica-gleaner.com reports.
Akeem Palmer and Omarko Green were charged on Thursday after a question-and-answer session with investigators. Palmer faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident. Green faces those same charges, along with perverting the course of justice. Both were offered station bail and are scheduled to appear in court on 5 January 2027.
According to police, at around 2:30 am two Mercedes-Benz motor cars were travelling westward when one attempted to overtake the other and struck an oncoming Toyota Vitz near Fisherman's Beach and the entrance to Columbus Heights. The drivers of both Mercedes-Benz vehicles reportedly removed their registration plates before fleeing the scene.
Emergency services were summoned, and the four occupants of the Toyota Vitz were transported to hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The deceased have been identified as 17-year-old Shantana Leonard, of Cardiff Hall, Runaway Bay, who was reportedly driving the vehicle, and three passengers: 16-year-old Marcodine Maxwell, 15-year-old Rajani Abdul, and 16-year-old Kenneil Lyle, all of Mansfield Heights, Ocho Rios.
Palmer and Green surrendered at the Ocho Rios Police Station on Monday, accompanied by their attorneys, after police launched a search for the drivers of the two Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Investigators had also obtained video footage of the collision as they worked to establish responsibility for the crash.
Senior Superintendent Carlos Russell, head of the St Ann Police Division, said the vehicles were reportedly travelling at high speed at the time of the collision. The crash has renewed concerns about reckless driving 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 5 November, Jamaica had recorded 251 fatal crashes resulting in 293 deaths — a nine per cent reduction compared with the same period in 2025.
Source: Google News JM — Crime