A usual Sunday evening drive for a Sea Cow’s Bay resident nearly turned fatal on May 23 after an alleged daredevil driver caused the 39-year-old male to crash into a wall, breaking his ribs, a shoulder bone and puncturing a lung.
Lawrence Anthony Syfox, who remains hospitalized in a stable condition at the Dr. D Orlando Smith Hospital, recounted to our news station the dreadful moments that led to his accident which occurred in the vicinity of CSY Dock.
According to Syfox, he and three other occupants were traversing from the East End area on his way home when he surprisingly met a motorist who was recklessly using the roadway.
Syfox said the motorist was driving a silver car and was in the process of doing burnouts, before losing control and heading towards his direction. To avert from crashing into the reckless motorist, Syfox said he opted to steer his Nissan motor car from the direction of the vehicle, but in doing so he lost control and crashed into a stationary wall.
“We were coming home back because the rain had started to fall up East End so we decided not to stay up there anymore. So when we reached the hill by CSY Dock, this silver car, because that’s all I can remember because I didn’t catch the number plate, it started spinning its wheel to go up the hill,” he stated.
“You know like when you’re drag racing and you burning out the tires? And he started sliding towards me, so I pulled from him and I realised I going over the cliff so I pulled back from the cliff and when I pull back from the cliff, I lose control and I run straight into the wall down by CSY Dock there, by the beach right down there,” Syfox explained.
Suffering immense pain and possibly facing a very high hospital bill
The Sea Cow’s Bay resident said that the accident has since left him suffering in immense pain and he fears the likelihood of a high hospital bill due to the amount of work that needs to be performed on him.
He said, ‘Well the injury is three broken ribs, a broken shoulder bone and a punctured lung. Right now, they’re (doctors) still trying to get fluid out of my lungs to keep me breathing and it is very painful right now.”
“I can’t tell you the cost because I’ve not seen the bill yet, but I know the bill is going to be heavy. I know the bill is going to be heavy because there are several X-Rays and PTC (percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography) scanning and all those things I have to go through. So I can’t tell you the bill yet” he added.
Syfox was initially scheduled to be released from the hospital on Monday May 31, however, due to the continuous discovery of even more complications, he presently remains in hospital care.
Concerned friend worried about more reckless acts
Meanwhile, his concerned friend Odette – a female resident from the Fourth District – was the one who took the matter public on social media over the weekend. She said the incident was one that is very worrying as she believes such acts will continue in the BVI if left unchecked.
“My concern is that people are just becoming more and more reckless. Everybody is a daredevil and everybody is a stunt person there are interested in showing off themselves, especially where there are people around who can see them, cheer them on and that kind of thing,” she told 284 Media.
“I have nothing against daredevils, stunt riders etcetera, I just think they need to understand and realise that they are a danger to themselves and to others as clearly you can see by what happened to Lawrence,” she added.
Public need to be more involved with reporting such acts
Odette also appealed to residents to start documenting these reckless acts when spotted on the public roadways. She believes this practice will help to catch a number of the perpetrators.
“The public needs to be involved and I think as somebody actually published on my post on one of the sites is that we need to start taking pictures and reporting and then heavy fines need to be imposed, because I think that would be a step in the direction to try to curb this,” she stated.
We at 284 News wish Mr Syfox a speedy and healthy recovery.