We gather today with heavy hearts to lay to rest our dear brother, friend, and fellow Kingston College Old Boy, Garfield Batts. Garfield was a man of integrity, brilliance, and service. As a mechanical engineer, he built and created with skill and purpose. As a family man, he loved deeply and faithfully. And as a friend, he was steadfast - always present, always giving.

But Garfield's earthly journey came to a sudden and tragic end just over six weeks ago. Driving home through the Bog Walk Gorge, his vehicle left the roadway and plunged into the Rio Cobre. There were no witnesses. At first, many believed fatigue or miscalculation had caused the accident. But police investigations - and the report of an independent reconstruction expert - have since made clear the true cause: a dangerous and neglected stretch of roadway .

At the location near Pim Rock, the embankment wall has a sixty-foot gap. At night, with poor lighting, no reflective paint, no signage, and a sharp bend in the road, headlights give the illusion that the road continues straight ahead. The driver believes he is facing a continuing stretch of the road ahead, when in fact he is heading into open river. It is an invisible trap. Worse, Garfield was not the first victim at this exact spot . This underscores that the danger here is well-known, even if the exact toll has not been formally confirmed. What is clear, however, is that unless decisive action is taken, Garfield is unlikely to be the last victim of this bend in the road.

My friends, it is this painful truth that compels us to act. Garfield's death cannot be in vain. Out of this tragedy must come life. Out of his passing must come a legacy that protects others.

Today, in his honour, we officially launch the Garfield Batts Hotspot Solutions Foundation .

This Foundation will dedicate itself to identifying, exposing, and remedying accident hotspots across Jamaica - starting with the very bend in the Bog Walk Gorge that claimed Garfield's life. Our immediate demands are simple, practical, and urgent:

Place reflective cones and tape at the sixty-foot gap.
Paint continuous white and yellow lines to guide drivers safely.
Erect warning signs for the dangerous bend.
And in the long term, repair the embankment wall and improve lighting in the Gorge.

But our vision extends beyond one spot. Across Jamaica, there are other hidden dangers - unguarded bridges, sharp curves with no warning, blind intersections, dimly lit crossings. Too often, we bury our loved ones, shake our heads, and move on. Garfield's Foundation will say, "No more."

We will be a pressure group that insists on solutions - not just talk. We will bring together communities, engineers, policymakers, civil society, and corporate partners to put in place real, practical measures that save lives. We will educate the public on road safety. And we will work hand in hand with agencies like the National Works Agency, not in hostility but in partnership, because this is a fight for all Jamaicans.

Friends, Garfield was a man of solutions. He believed in fixing what was broken, in making things better. And so, we could think of no more fitting name than the Garfield Batts Hotspot Solutions Foundation - an organisation born out of sorrow, but dedicated to the service of life.

To Garfield's family: may you find comfort in knowing that from his passing, a movement is being born that will guard others from grief. To his friends and colleagues: may you channel your pain into purpose. And to Jamaica: may you join us in ensuring that Garfield's name becomes synonymous not only with loss, but with life saved.

We launch this Foundation today not with fanfare, but with solemnity. Not with celebration, but with conviction. Garfield is gone, but through this work, his spirit will live on, protecting others on our roads, and reminding us always of the power of turning tragedy into change.

May his soul rest in peace, and may his legacy rise in action.

Thank you.

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