Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, has expressed "shock" and sadness at the death of firefighter Shahine Nelson who succumbed to injuries she sustained in a car crash in Angels outside Spanish Town in St Catherine on Friday night.
Nelson is the adopted daughter of Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Assistant Superintendent Garnett Douse, whose son, Larenzo, died after being hit by a vehicle while on duty in Ocho Rios, St Ann on November 30, 2022.
Nelson was assigned to the Stony Hill Fire Station in St Andrew.
McKenzie, in a statement, said he remembers the firefighter very well.
"I presided over her graduation ceremony in 2022, and recall speaking with her about her training experiences," the minister stated.
"This tragic news is even sadder for me, as she was the stepsister of firefighter Larenzo Douse, who was killed while on duty in Ocho Rios in 2022.
Larenzo Douse
"Once again, this family of firefighters and the wider JFB community are enveloped in mourning," McKenzie said.
The minister explained that Nelson had completed her shift before the crash occurred at 10:03 pm on Friday.
"The preliminary report is this accident happened at the intersection of the Angels main road and the off-ramp coming from the North-South Highway. She crashed into the off ramp and her car ended up under a tractor trailer with a container attached, which was parked nearby," McKenzie said.
According to him, it is not yet known what caused the accident, but it is "unquestionably a terrible tragedy".
In sharing that "deep sense of loss and disbelief" with Nelson's family and the JFB community, McKenzie said: "I trust that her loved ones and friends will experience solace, peace and personal strength as the days progress.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner of the JFB, Stewart Beckford, told reporters on Saturday that Nelson's adopted father is devastated.
Beckford said counselling teams have been mobilised for Nelson's family and colleagues.
Her death came weeks after another firefighter Shamare Myrie was stabbed to death during an alteration in Gaylord, Michigan, United States. The 33-year-old was involved in an altercation with another man at SunFrog Solutions, an online retailer of custom T-shirts and apparel designs.
Myrie was working there while on vacation when he was fatally stabbed, media reports said.
