Left: Several bottles fall from a crate being carried by one man after the police began beating looters at the scene of the accident. Right: A policeman reaches under the truck wheels to administer his discipline on a man he suspected of looting. - Ricardo Makyn photos

Despite the tragedy that took place earlier during a motor vehicle accident, looters yesterday stormed a Heineken truck and stole its cargo.

It took a few blows from the police to stop the looting and to keep the crowd away from the burnt truck and the scene, where one man was killed and another badly burnt.

The Ford Sterling truck, laden with cases of Heineken, was travelling on the Linstead Bypass, St Catherine, about 8 a.m. when it collided with a Toyota Corolla heading in the opposite direction.

Corporal Peter Lewis of the Linstead Traffic Department said the Toyota, driven by Damion Murray, 27, from Cheesefield, St Catherine, blew a tyre and collided with the truck. The car was broken into pieces on impact while the truck was engulfed in flames which severely burnt the driver. The collision killed Murray.

But despite the wreckage, several people turned out to see what they could steal from the scene.

"A di Heineken dem mi want fi move to, although mi drink about a dozen already," said one looter with a bucket of the liquor in his hand. "The tings dem insure and all when the fire a blaze mi still a drink."

When the police began using their batons to rain blows on the looters one man was heard commenting; "Lawd, woi, di mad policeman a come wid di baton. Him nah romp wid people when him a fling the baton."

Several persons, however, still risked limbs as they desperately tried to grab a bottle or two while the police tried to get them away from the wreckage. Eventually, calm was restored.