“I want to know how my son died” – mother of motorcyclist found on roadway

The family of a 27-year-old man is calling for a thorough investigation after the young motorcyclist was found unconscious along the roadway in the vicinity of the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge and Heroes Highway and later died at the Diamond Regional Hospital. Dead is David Oliver Mentore. Relatives told this publication that they remain uncertain about how he sustained the injuries that led to his death. Mentore had reportedly left his home around 23:00h on Wednesday on his motorcycle, telling relatives that he was heading into Georgetown to visit his nephew. However, he never returned home. Several hours later, at around 04:00h on Thursday, his mother, Eudora Thornhill, received a telephone call informing her that her son had been involved in an accident and had been taken to the hospital.
Speaking with Guyana Times, Thornhill said the caller identified himself only as a doctor but did not provide his name or any other details. According to the grieving mother, the man told her that Mentore had been taken to the Diamond Regional Hospital, East Bank of Demerara (EBD), after being involved in an accident and urged the family to come immediately. Thornhill said relatives immediately made their way to the hospital and arrived shortly before 06:00h. However, upon reaching there, they were informed that Mentore had already died. According to Thornhill, medical personnel told the family that Mentore had suffered several severe injuries and had lost a significant amount of blood before his death. “They tell me that he left neck to his shoulder and his back break, his hip break and two ankle break,” she related. “And he bleed his blood out. They tried to get some blood to give him, but he had already passed when they were going to try, according to the doctor.”
“I asked them who took him to the hospital. They said maybe an ambulance. They didn’t know who took him there or how he ended up in there,” she said. Thornhill said hospital staff informed her that Mentore had briefly regained consciousness and was able to provide his name and his mother’s contact information before he died. However, what has left the family particularly distressed is that they have received little information about how or if an accident occurred or the exact circumstances that led to Mentore being found along the roadway.
Thornhill recalled that while at the hospital, she spoke with a police officer, who indicated that investigators initially had little information about the incident. According to the mother, the officer made calls to other police ranks but was told that there were no reports of an accident in the area at the time. Thornhill said another officer later visited the hospital and took statements from family members as investigations continued. She also noted that she was informed that Mentore’s motorcycle had later been located at a police outpost, though she remains uncertain how the bike ended up there. “When he call to the outpost, the bike was there. I don’t know how it reach there because I ain’t go to the outpost. Also, we were told that the bike was okay. So, I am confused as to what happened. How was the bike okay, and he sustained such injuries?” she said. Mentore had recently returned from working in the interior mining sector and had only resumed construction work last week. The 27-year-old leaves behind a young daughter and several grieving relatives. His mother described him as a respectful and caring individual who was always willing to help family members and neighbours.
“My son’s personality was loving, kind and friendly to everybody. Very respectable. I always train them from small,” she said. According to Thornhill, Mentore was also a strong support for the family and often assisted whenever he could. “He had a lot of vision. He helped me a lot because I am a single mother and he was like a real help to me,” she explained. Now struggling to cope with the sudden loss, the family is appealing to investigators to conduct a thorough probe into the incident and determine exactly what occurred. “I would like a real good investigation. I want to know how my son died,” Thornhill said. “I would like footage. If I could see footage…. that would make my heart pleased.” The grieving family is also urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have information about what occurred to come forward, as they continue to search for answers surrounding the young man’s death.