Family needs help from traumatised accident victim
Three weeks ago life in the Bol household changed forever when their seven year old son was run over in a traffic accident near his Ladyville home. And as News Five’s Jacqueline Godwin reports, while his physical wounds are healing, the mental scars of the accident continue to haunt the little boy.
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
It is difficult to watch seven year old Chris Bol as he fights to recover from a horrific traffic accident. Seriously injured physically, the standard one student is also suffering from recurring images of being trapped under the four ton army truck that knocked him off his bicycle.
Alfaro Bol, Father
“At present my son is traumatised. At times during the nights he would wake up, I guess he has this flashback or what you call nightmares. He cries out and I have to be there. My son cannot really walk well at the moment.”
The accident occurred at the corner of Hawk and Partridge Streets in Ladyville Village on January eighth. Young Bol was riding his bicycle home from school around three-forty that afternoon when he was hit by a truck from the British Army Support Unit. Alfaro Bol says when he got to the scene, the BATSUB driver identified, as Evral Bradley, was pulling his son from under the truck.
Alfaro Bol
“And I saw my son’s bicycle under the vehicle, it was totally damaged. The left driver’s wheel had run over my son’s vehicle and my son was underneath the vehicle. The driver, apparently he told me that he did not see my son.”
Bol was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, but soon slipped into a coma due to massive internal bleeding and shock. Later that night, the little boy had to be rushed into the operating room.
Alfaro Bol
“And at that stage the doctors told us myself and my wife that my son was critical. He had lost a lot of blood and they had to cut off half of his spleen cause it was really damaged.”
Bol survived surgery, but remained on life support until a second surgery successfully stopped the bleeding. The child is now at home recovering but it has not been easy.
Alfaro Bol
“He was an active boy before. He was a playful child, he would jump, ride his bike, climb trees at this moment he cannot do that.”
Equally disturbing for the Bol family is that weeks since the accident, his fellow officers have yet to make an arrest in the case.
Alfaro Bol
“So far I have explained to them that my son would be home. He is not in a position to visit the police station, but part of police work entail that they can come and take a statement. So far they have not done that.”
A ten year veteran on the force, the disappointed dad says he is not afraid of speaking out against the police.
Alfaro Bol
“Well I have contemplated about that before, but at this time, this concerns me. This is my family who has been affected. This is my son understand. This is my concern and I feel hurt, yes, I feel annoyed over it.”
Bol says he is also waiting to hear from the British Army Support Unit following a visit to their headquarters.
Alfaro Bol
“I have given my number to a Sgt. Fisher who is a huge guy, he is a military police. We had a discussion sometime in this week and he got my number, my address and so forth. He said he was going to contact me, but that he was waiting for a police report. Now I know the protocol that, yes, there has to be a police report and so forth and documentation for them to honour, but if no charges have been filed and so forth, then this creates difficulties on me even. Then it seems that even though if you have insurance and so forth they won’t honour it until something gets done. I mean I have to get this ball game rolling and so forth.”
As for the driver? Bol says shortly before we arrived at his residence this morning, Bradley finally visited him.
Alfaro Bol
“He explained to me that if it was okay for him to speak to me and I said well I don’t hate you. Yes, I am annoyed that you have hurt my son to this extent. We discussed the matter and he saying that he is willing to compensate, he is willing to come forward and see what he can come up with and compensate in regards to the medical bills and so forth because at this moment I am well above my head.”
So far the Bol family has spend fifteen thousand dollars in medical expenses. Bol says he knows his child will need counselling and is now appealing to anyone who can help his son fully recover to contact the family.
Alfaro Bol
“To see my son in those kind of condition, it really hurts, it’s really sad to see my son being taken away, you are not sure if he will come out successful after the surgery. It’s really hard; you have to be strong to see your son go through such condition. He cannot fall or knock himself or injure himself within that area or it can be fatal, so we must take very good care of him. He will recover but eventually, it is slow progress at the moment.”
Jacqueline Godwin for News Five.
If you can assist the Bol family, please contact them at telephone numbers 624-2684 or 661-9848. Meanwhile, the family would like to thank the medical staff at K.H.M.H. for their assistance in Chris’ recovery. This afternoon Police Press Officer G. Michael Reid could only confirm to us that the Bol accident is still under investigation.
