A YOUNG Eccles, East Bank Demerara mother who opted for a ride home on a motorcycle lost her life Monday when she was hurled off the bike after it was forced to stop suddenly.Dead is 21-year-old Paulette Josiah, who was a member of the popular X Factor Dance group and also worked at an East Bank Demerara gas station.

According to reports, the motorcycle – CG 8485 – was heading south on the eastern carriageway at Houston, also on the East Bank, when the motorcyclist suddenly aborted plans to overtake a vehicle; with the abrupt stop, Josiah was pelted off the bike and suffered several injuries.

A motorcar ran over the rear wheel of the motorcycle immediately after. The motorcyclist was identified as Melroy Barnwell of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt. He sustained a fractured leg.

Josiah and Barnwell were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where Josiah succumbed to her injuries and Barnwell was admitted for further evaluation and treatment. Neither was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

One relative disclosed that Josiah left home on Sunday for work at the gas station and appeared to be heading home Monday with the friend when the accident occurred. Josiah was described as the eldest of four children and a hardworking and determined young lady. The driver who ran over the rear wheel of the motorcycle was placed on station bail.

Barnwell who suffered fractures to his legs, has a broken right femur(top) and other injuries to his left instep was listed for emergency surgery yesterday morning, but due to a glitch in the theatre, the surgery could not have been performed and so, according to his father, the patient remains in a state of limbo.
According to relatives, Melroy fasted on Monday night in preparation for surgery early yesterday. He was taken to theatre minutes before 06:00 h, and was listed as the second patient for surgery.
However, he was amazed to find that he was eventually not operated on, but instead was left on a be waiting indefinitely, while no one said anything to him. On making enquiries, Barnwell was told that he could no longer be operated on, since there was no sterilized steel to implant into his leg and the apparatus for sterilizing was not operational.
The distraught father, said that on hearing such, he immediately asked to see the resident doctor, but was told that he was not available. The patient further enquired of the medical staff, just when would the operation be performed, and was advised that that it could not be done until next week.
Meanwhile the patient was left waiting in the theatre for about 10 hours, his relatives say, and it was not until after 17:00 h that he was taken back into the Surgical ward.
The family is incensed, and consider the break down in communication a burning shame. “In the first place, they should not have been communicating with the patient when I was around and saw the doctor. Why didn’t they communicate that to me?” asked the elder Barnwell.
Meantime, as at 18:30 hours, the patient who not eaten since around 21:00 hrs on Monday night, was writhing in pain and was only given some pain relievers on Monday night.
Mr. Barnwell who is adamant that his son should not be made to wait for one week before receiving surgery which is intended to be of an emergency nature, has vowed he would leave no stone unturned until his son gets his surgery done in the shortest possible time.

According to Traffic Chief Dion Moore, motorcyclists are the second highest category of road users to be involved in fatal accidents, especially when helmets are not used.

The Motorcycles (Protective Helmets) Regulations, Section 3 (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act Cap. 51:02 states that: “The driver of, and every person carried on, a motorcycle on a road shall wear a safety helmet capable of affording protection to the head of the wearer from injury in the event of an accident.”