THE passing of Rondel Simmons, a left wing mid-field footballer who succumbed to injuries a week ago, shocked members of that sporting fraternity of which he was a part from age six years.
He died of injures suffered when he hit a cow while riding a motorcycle at Main Street and Shoe Lane, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Secretary of his New Amsterdam United Football Club, Jason Sanmogan told the Guyana Chronicle that, after confirming the occurrence with coach Lennox Adams, he reflected on the life of the deceased, who was always present at practice sessions on Esplanade Recreation Park, also in New Amsterdam and would be greatly missed.
Sanmogan said the death of Simmons was the second loss to the club, having lost Carlyle Younge, a defence centre player, to another vehicular accident two years ago.
Younge had been returning from Number 63 Beach, on Easter Monday 2008, when the mini-bus in which he was travelling struck a donkey at Port Mourant, another part of Corentyne and he passed away while receiving medical attention at New Amsterdam Hospital.
Sanmogan said it is unfortunate that persons do not take extra precaution as road users.
Meanwhile, a senior Police officer told this newspaper that Simmons was unlicensed and not authorised to ride the motorbike, which belonged to an overseas based relative.
The footballer was not wearing a helmet and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, the officer revealed.
It was reported that a Guinness stout bottle was retrieved from the scene of the accident, in which the impact ripped the animal’s abdomen, killing it instantly.
Following the collision, Simmons, a 20-year-old welding student of New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), was taken to the Regional Hospital, from where he was, subsequently, transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and died there seven days later.
His relatives said, prior to his demise, he had regained consciousness but was unable to communicate verbally because of a fractured jaw.
Simmons, the only child of his mother, Jillian Simmons, had shown signs of recovery but suffered a relapse.
He is expected to be buried on June 2.