Western Bureau:

One motorcyclist was killed and two motorists and a passenger seriously injured in Montego Bay yesterday morning as the city's police traffic department was kept busy investigating five separate road accidents that occurred within a four- hour span.

The unidentified motorcyclist, a male believed to be in his mid-20s, was killed along the roadway leading to the Sangster International Airport shortly after 6 a.m.

Reports are that the motorbike he was riding got out of control and crashed into a tree, which it uprooted.

The cyclist, who was thrown off the motorcycle on impact, landed some 15 yards away.

He suffered multiple head and upper body injuries and was pronounced dead on the spot.

Traffic in the area was reduced to a crawl for almost an hour as passing motorists slowed to survey the accident scene.

Prior to that accident, the driver of a silver Honda Integra and his passenger narrowly escaped death along the popular Hip Strip shortly after 5 a.m. when his car got out of control, hurtling several metres through the air before landing on the grounds of the old hospital, where it flipped numerous times before coming to a halt.

"Is the luckiest two men I ever see," said a man who witnessed the accident. "Me just see the car fly pass and the next thing I know, it was somersaulting through the air before landing on its top and rolling over several more times."

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The driver and his passenger, whose identities were not ascertained, were both rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where they were admitted. The full extent of their injuries have not yet been revealed.

While the police were processing the accident scene on the Hip Strip, news came that there was yet another accident at the busy Queen's Drive/Leaders Avenue intersection. That accident, which occurred shortly after 9 a.m., involved a Toyota Camry and a Marksman security truck that was transporting guard dogs.

Reports are that when the two vehicles collided, the truck careened off the roadway and landed in a nearby ditch. The truck driver, who reportedly suffered injuries to his upper body, was rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was admitted. The status of the other driver and the dogs could not be ascertained.

The other two accidents occurred along the treacherous Long Hill main road the John's Hall main road.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com