‘It breaks my heart’ - Heartbroken mom pleads for compassion after son blamed in deadly highway crash

The grieving mother of Romario Walker, accused of driving on the wrong side of the North-South Highway resulting in a deadly crash on Friday night, says her son was not a bad person.

Walker, 31, and 56-year-old Rayon Grant, of Seaview Gardens, perished in the fiery crash. Police reports indicate that around 8:15 p.m., Grant was driving a white Subaru Legacy southbound when it collided head-on with a grey Subaru Impreza driven by Walker, who was travelling north. Both vehicles burst into flames on impact.

The men sustained multiple injuries and were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Cecile Evans, mother of Walker, said October 17, is a day she will never forget for to two reasons.

"My younger son graduated that same Friday, and my eldest died that Friday," she said. "October 17, I'll never forget that day. It was the most bittersweet day of my life."

She acknowledged the mental anguish being experienced by Grant's family and extended her sympathies.

"There's another family that's grieving, and my heart goes out to them," Evans said.

"They have every right to be angry, to lash out, and I would never take that from them."

Evans, who lives in the United States, said she has been shattered by the loss and has deleted her social-media accounts after hearing harsh online comments.

"I just want them to know that Romario was a good person, full of love, always smiling," she said through tears.

"He wasn't malicious. If he and someone had a disagreement, he'd rather walk away and take a drive. He always called me if something was bothering him. As soon as I start talking to my kids, I can sense when something is wrong. That's the kind of bond we had."

As she replayed the events of that day, the contrast between pride and pain was too much to bear.

"My younger son graduated that same Friday, and my eldest died that Friday," she added. "October 17, I'll never forget that day. It was the most bitter-sweet day of my life."

She last saw Walker, a realtor associate, in July 2024, celebrating his birthday. The family had been planning a surprise Christmas reunion in Jamaica that would have brought Evans, her husband, and their younger son together.

"Friday was supposed to be a normal day," she recalled. "I talked to him in the morning. When I got off work, he was heading to work, and he and his girlfriend were in the car on speaker talking about our Christmas plans. We were planning to have a big family get-together. Everyone was excited."

Walker, who lived in Phoenix Park Village, Portmore, was studying auditing at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean. He had just completed an exam the day before the crash and felt confident about his performance.

"He said, 'Mommy, I feel like I did so well on my exam,'" Evans recalled.

"He had so much going on, he was in a happy place," the mother added.

But later that night tragedy struck. Evans said she received a call from her son's girlfriend saying they had had an argument and that she had stepped out of the car. Walker drove off alone.

"She called me and said, 'Mommy, we had an argument,' but she didn't tell me what it was, she was in a state of panic," Evans said. "I told her I'd call him and check in."

Moments later, she dialled his number. When someone finally answered, it wasn't her son's familiar voice but that of a police officer, sirens wailing in the background.

"The phone rang and a man's voice answered. I heard sirens in the background and my heart dropped," she said softly.

"The officer introduced himself and told me there had been an accident. I started asking, 'Is he okay? Is everyone okay?' But then he said Romario was unconscious. Later that night, I learned he didn't make it."

Evans said she was devastated about the loss of Grant.

"It breaks my heart to know that little boy will grow up without his dad," she said. "I want to help them, even if they don't accept it. This pain, I know they're feeling it too."

Her composure broke completely as she turned to prayer for comfort.

"Oh Jesus, I'm asking you for strength. It's so, so hard. I know they are going through it."

As of October 17, 314 lives have been lost in road crashes across the island according to data from the Road Safety Unit.