Residents and motorists stop to look at the damage done by a trailer, on the left, which veered off the road and ran into a shop along the Port Henderson main road in Portmore, St Catherine, on Thursday. Calvin 'Stumpy' McDermott, a fisherman from the area, was mowed down by the trailer. - Rasbert Turner

Rasbert Turner, Portmore Star Writer

Residents and business operators along the Port Henderson Road hip strip, more popularly known as 'Back Road' in Portmore, are complaining about speeding motorists who traverse the roadway daily.

The outcry was amplified following the death of Calvin 'Stumpy' McDermott, a fisherman from the area, who was mowed down by a trailer on Thursday.

"Every day, the vehicle dem deal with the place like a racetrack because the road is smooth, and this is the result," Daphne Gilzene told THE PORTMORE STAR.

Her view was echoed by the police and other road users who call the stretch of roadway 'Portmore Dover'.

Police reports are that McDermott, 35, who resided along the corridor, was killed at 1:47 p.m., but the driver of the vehicle fled after the accident and is being sought.

The police said McDermott was at a businessplace near the Forum Fishing Beach when the trailer ran off the road, crashed into the establishment, and hit him.

Residents said McDermott was standing at a shop across from where he sold fish for years. The articulated vehicle, which was heading towards the Portmore toll road, got out of control, and a 40-foot container it was carrying slammed into the building. The driver did not stop, leaving the container behind.

As the news of McDermott's death spread, scores of persons converged on the scene. Among them were police personnel who knew him well.

Deputy Superintendent Robin Wedderburn said he knew McDermott very well and was very shocked to know he was dead. "I was here last night drinking a few beers with him, and it is sad to know he died like this," Wedderburn said.

The St Catherine South Traffic Department is conducting investigations into the matter.