Less than 48 hours after the death of 24-year-old Zidon Gooding in a motorcycle accident, a pothole in the area where the crash occurred has been freshly patched, but it has prompted an outcry from the head of a bikers’ club as well as people on social media.
The accident occurred on Rock Hall Road, St Philip, around 10:20 p.m. on Saturday. Gooding, of Parish Land, Christ Church, died after being taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
On Rock Hall Road yesterday afternoon, the pothole had just been repaired and a crew from the Ministry of Transport and Works was seen patching another one nearby. Some people on social media had speculated that the motorcycle dropped into a pothole before the crash, with many stating the area had had potholes for some time.
In a statement, police said a motorcyclist was travelling towards Grantley Adams International Airport when his pillion rider fell from the bike. Medical assistance was sought and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
A family member declined to comment when a NATION team visited the Gooding home yesterday.
President of Black Knight Riders, Fabian Reeves, said road conditions, particularly potholes, posed a particular danger to motorcyclists.
More hazardous
“It is a problem for cars too, but when you’re on two wheels, it becomes more hazardous for us,” Reeves said as he explained why even a single pothole can be so dangerous.
“You could lose your control from just dropping into a pothole because your steering is at the front. So when you don’t have any steering, then you lose the front of the motorcycle.”
He also pointed to roadworks carried out without proper warning signs. He recalled a club member who was travelling on BET Hill, St Michael, where there was no signage between the top of the hill and the gas station at the bottom.
“You’re on a smooth road, you’re not aware there are any roadworks, and you just race straight onto a road that’s not smooth,” Reeves said, stressing this was very hazardous for riders.
“There needs to be a serious address where the potholes and the roadworks are being done, with proper signage as well,” he said.
Asked whether any areas had been more problematic, Reeves pointed to the newly-paved road coming from the highway near the airport.
“You have to really take your time coming down there because the surface of the road is very uneven. These are things that definitely need addressing.”
(DDS)