THIRTY-FOUR-year-old Neil Blackman of 62 David Street, Kitty had a close shave with death on Saturday night when a Toyota Spacio, spinning out of control after being hit by a motor lorry travelling at alarming speed, struck him a blow that sent him flying into a trench at the four-corner junction at David and Alexander streets in Kitty.

Although lucky to be alive, the auto electrician suffered a compound fracture to the left leg, broken ribs, and severe injuries to his back; and is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

Blackman recalls that, at around 18:50 hrs last Saturday, he was returning home from a nearby shop when he spotted the truck approaching at an alarming speed, although he was well in the corner of the road. As the truck approached the four-corner junction at Alexander and David streets, it jumped the major road and hit a SPACIO motor car driven by a woman who was proceeding at a moderate rate.

On impact, he said, the Spacio was sent spinning out of control and hit him, sending him flying into a nearby trench. His left leg was immediately broken in two places, and he literally crawled, clutching at everything in his path that could offer him grip to extricate himself from the trench in a harrowing experience, he recalled.

He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), and was immediately rushed to theatre for emergency surgery to save the broken limb. Because the leg was badly swollen, it could not immediately be placed in a cast.

Steel was implanted into the leg, and other medical procedures were done to attend to the injuries to his back and ribs.
Written By Shirley Thomas