Young motorcyclist is latest road fatality

A 22-year-old man lost his life in a motorcycle accident on Maxwell Main Road, Christ Church, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Renaldo Elon Daniel of Rollins Road, Christ Church, died after losing control of his motorcycle at approximately 12:57 a.m. while travelling westward toward Top Rock.

Police said Daniel was thrown off the bike. He was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance but died while being treated for his injuries.

His mother, Michelle Daniel, told Barbados TODAY about her son’s lifelong passion for motorcycles.

“Renaldo loved bikes. My brother did motorcycle dragging in Saint Lucia, and my uncle wanted him to follow in his footsteps,” she said. “He was my only child. After my brother’s accident in February, Renaldo was taking care of him.”

Daniel, who drove ZR 424 on Route 3D, was well-known for his friendly demeanour and involvement in the family’s route taxi business. His mother described him as a “people person” who was more of a homebody when not working.

On the night of the accident, Renaldo was reportedly en route to his girlfriend’s house. His mother recounted the devastating moment she learned of the tragedy: “I rushed to the hospital, but by the time I got there, he was already gone. He was still breathing when they took him in, but he didn’t make it.”

The young man would have celebrated his 23rd birthday on September 28. Instead, his family and friends are now preparing for his funeral.

The Daniel family, still in shock, is struggling to come to terms with their loss.

“We’re not doing good,” admitted his mother with whom he lived.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

The number of fatal accidents recorded so far this year stands at 16, with 18 deaths recorded.

(LG)