By Shirley Thomas

MARK Mahadeo, a mechanic of Independence Boulevard, in the Georgetown ward of La Penitence, was performing the job of a ‘Good Samaritan’, a few weeks ago, when he was lashed off a motor cycle by a motorist driving a RAV 4. He has suffered injuries from which he is not likely to recover until next year.The injured mechanic was rushed to hospital, where X-rays performed determined that he had suffered four fractures to his left leg and a fracture to the head. He was immediately whisked into theatre for emergency surgery, and an exterior fixator was fitted to his injured leg.

He was discharged from hospital after spending just over a week, but was re-admitted on Monday for further medical intervention. Mahadeo said he has to return to theatre to have bones refitted in place and steel implanted to support the injured bones.

Recounting events leading up to the tragedy, Mahadeo recalled that, on March 27, he was in the vicinity of the Camptown Sports Ground in Campbellville when he encountered a young man (known to him) who was experiencing problems with his motorcycle. The bike was constantly ‘cutting out’, and the lad (about 16 or 17) did not know how to deal with the problem; so he asked Mahadeo, with his experience as a mechanic, to ride the bike home for him.

With the lad as pillion rider, Mahadeo set out on the journey, first going to Robbstown. They were heading up Robb Street when they became involved in an accident.

Mahadeo said he was crossing over Camp Street and heading east along Robb Street when he spotted a RAV 4 which appeared to be proceeding south along Camp Street. The vehicle suddenly swerved left, hitting him through a fence and into a yard next to the burnt out Kissoon building. He landed onto a propped up concrete slab and was badly injured. His pillion rider suffered only minor injuries.

The lad then phoned his father, who went to the scene to get him. However, instead of telling his father exactly what had happened, the lad told his father that Mahadeo had borrowed the motorcycle from him and had got into an accident. He could not explain how he also was involved in the accident.

The father and son picked up the cycle and proceeded home, while public-spirited persons who had witnessed the accident rushed the badly injured Mahadeo to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

The matter was reported to the police, who later visited the scene.