Carel Brady could not hold back the tears after learning that her brother was one of the many who died in the accident in Fellowship, Portland, on Friday night. - ricardo makyn

After being trapped for more than five hours under a truck, which plunged over a precipice Friday night in the Rio Grande valley of Portland, Lynford Jackson is responding to treatment from doctors and nurses at the Saint Ann's Bay hospital.

It was Jackson who pleaded with medical personnel from the Port Antonio hospital, including medical nurse, Rackell Wilson, to chop off his leg, as the pain was unbearable. His plea, however, was not honoured by the medical team.

"We managed to free his right leg, which was trapped underneath the truck at the rear end of the vehicle," said Nurse Wilson, 23. "Several attempts were made to free the other leg, but that proved futile, as with each effort it appeared as if the truck would plunge further, and on top of us."

Wilson explained that her team decided that every attempt would be made to save Jackson, who was in excruciating pain.

Overwhelmed with pain

"I administered to him a Voltaren injection, which is a pain -killing injection, but he was so overwhelmed with pain that he cried and begged us to chop off the leg. We explained to him that amputation would probably cause him to bleed to death, and furthermore, everything was being done to save his life," she added.

A rescue team from the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) had a heavy-duty truck fitted with a crane and it was able to lift the truck, allowing the medical team to free Jackson's other leg.

Today, Jackson is in hospital, with both legs still attached, and according to Nurse Wilson, "There is no talk of any amputation," based on updates received from her colleagues at the St Ann's Bay Hospital.

"I was informed also that his left leg and left arm are somewhat badly fractured. He is presently in a critical, but stable condition, and he is responding well to treatment," she said.

Jackson is one of five persons admitted to hospital on Friday, after a market truck with 21 higglers plunged over a precipice at Dam Bridge in the Rio Grande Valley of Portland, killing 14 people, including a 10-year-old boy.