Andy Lopez

When Kurt Samuels received a phone call at 5 a.m. on Monday, he had no idea it was someone calling to tell him that two of his closest friends had been killed in an accident.

He immediately went to the scene, and although he could not bring himself to look at the accident, a relative confirmed his worst fears - the victims were in fact his friends and they were dead.

According to reports from the Constabulary Communications liaison officer for St Mary, Corporal Angella McTaggart, Andy Lopez, 20, Shericka Wright, 20, and Jemile Fong-Chung, 22, were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in, slammed into the Rio Nuevo Bridge in St Mary.

Lopez and Fong-Chung were students of the University of the West Indies, where Lopez held the position of cultural and entertainment affairs chairperson (CEAC) on the University's Guild of Students. Fong-Chung, THE STAR was told, was the grandson of a former member of parliament for Western St Mary. He was also the driver of the motor vehicle. Both were final year students, with Lopez pursuing a degree in history and Fong-Chung majoring in sociology.

Slammed into bridge

Police reports are that about 3:30 a.m., on Monday, the motor vehicle in which the victims and one survivor were travelling, was driving along the Rio Nuevo main road, heading towards Oracabessa. The car reportedly drifted too much to the right and collided with a Toyota Corolla, before slamming into the bridge and bursting into flames. All three died on the spot. The lone survivor was rescued by a passer-by and taken to the St Ann's Bay Hospital. He received several burns.

Jemile Fung- Chung - contributed photos

Samuels told THE STAR that he shared a special brotherly bond with the two men, adding that at one point, they had all lived together. He said, "It's very hard. I've known them for over 10 years. Our families are very close. We were all like brothers. I know their families are trying to manage and we're all trying our best to cope."

He described his friends as "outgoing and fun but serious about life" and said they were both "good guys."

Messages left on Lopez's Facebook page, a site for social interaction, are reflections of the grief Samuels and all who knew the deceased are feeling. Several friends expressed shock at the deaths and many seem to be in disbelief. One post read, "Come on now Andy... Nuh duh mi dat... When mi come, mi a expect fi see yuh out a Chancellor front wid u cane ... as usual."

Another said, "Andy talk to mi nuh, mi can't stop bawl ... Andy jus' come knock pon mi office window. Everyday yu do dat, dweet again. I love you and I miss you. R.I.P."

A special vigil in honour of both men is being planned for this week's edition of the weekly Integration Thursdays party, held on the University's Students Union. In his role as CEAC, it was Lopez's responsibility to plan the weekly event.