By Shirley Thomas

TWELVE-YEAR-old Hajey Naresh of 159 Zahora Street, Better Hope, East Coast Demerara was walking along the Railway Embankment Road between Prince William Street and Graham Street, Plaisance on Sunday morning when a speeding, out-of-control dirt motorcycle driven by an allegedly unlicensed motorist struck him down outside the Village Council Office.Picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, he has been admitted in hospital suffering from multiple injuries, including a gaping cut of about six inches to the head; fracture to both hands, and three punctures to his legs. He is expected to return to theatre for further surgical intervention today (Tuesday).

His father, Naresh, told the Guyana Chronicle that Hajey was going to the Plaisance Market to buy DVDs when the accident happened. He said eyewitnesses recalled that the child was on the right side of the road and was proceeding east to west when the motor cycle, heading in the opposite direction, ploughed into him after becoming uncontrollable.

His father has expressed gratitude to those public-spirited persons who rushed him to hospital, adding that persons had also picked up the child’s money which was scattered on the roadway and had returned same to him (the father).

The eldest of three siblings, Hajey is a student of the Montrose Secondary School, who wrote the National Grade Six Examination a few weeks ago. Now that he is lying on a hospital bed with both hands, legs, and head injured, his parents have expressed gratitude to God for sparing his life, and because he was not injured before he was able to write his examination.

The motorcycle rider was taken to the Sparendaam Police Station and released on bail.