Speeding vehicle knocks woman off her bike

The family of Marsha Smith in Belize City is having their share of unfortunate events. Smith’s son, Sharife, was recently killed and now her daughter, twenty-two year old Rushelly, is hospitalized following a traffic accident shortly before nine Tuesday night. Rushelly was knocked off her bicycle by a vehicle travelling on Vernon Street. Accompanied by a friend, the young woman was leaving Oscar’s Shop located in front of Berger Field when a speeding vehicle hit her leaving her unconscious. Smith received various gashes to the head, a twisted neck and multiple abrasions to her body. She was transported to the K.H.M.H. and admitted for the injuries. Today Smith gathered her strengths and spoke with News Five about the incident.

Rushelly Smith, Knocked-Down Victim
“The only thing I could remember was that I was on Vernon Street. I went to buy at a shop in front of Berger Field. I was on a bike and while I was turning the bike round, all I could remember a car was coming on the opposite side and I get knock and from there I can’t remember anything else.”

Duane Moody
“You went unconscious?”

Rushelly Smith
“Yes sir.”

Duane Moody
“How do you feel right now Rushelly?”

Rushelly Smith
“Well, I have a headache and the doctor they say, the reason why I have on the neck brace is because they say mi neck supposed to twist. I did an x-ray last night but I noh know weh come out pan the x-ray.”

Duane Moody
“I notice you have a bandage on your head, that da from when you drop pan the ground?”

Rushelly Smith
“Yes sir.”

Duane Moody
“Right deh buss?”

Rushelly Smith
“Mhmm, and eena mi head back get buss and dehn mi have to stitch mi ears and mi foot.”

Duane Moody
“But you feel alright doh right?”

Rushelly Smith
“I di try cause I have wah pain pan mi chest come up eena mi shoulder and mi arms dehn.”

Marsha Smith, Mother
“I neva expect this fi mi daughter but yoh have to expect things cause life right now how ih deh yoh have to look out fi di unexpected right now. Yoh can’t just sit down and think things noh wah happen. But dah because ah di pain weh I have eena mi whole body. I noh get over the grief fi mi son yet; just pain mi whole body. I know I wah cry yoh know and di expense weh di come behind. I noh di work and my kids dehn noh di work but I live my life and I pay my bills how I could and I do weh I got fi do. but dis right now really di hurt me and all I want dah di guys weh knock ah down, come hail my lee gial, pay dehn respect mek we noh have to go dah court and just help my lee gial wid di medical; whatever ih need fi get help wid. Please cause unnu dah man and unnu have family and I know unu wouldn’t want no body hurt unu peeps like dis. Like I seh, I’m sad because today mek two weeks since I bury my son. Dah mi wah struggle fi bury ah but I thank all mi family and everybody who assist me in helping my son and burying my son.”

The son Marsha Smith is referring to is sixteen year old Sharife who, on March twenty-seventh of this year, was gunned down on Ground Dove Street in the Port Loyola Area. Sharife was shot four times to the left side of his face while riding with a friend and despite his injuries, he fled the scene. His body was discovered hours later by police in a bushy lot on Jabiru Street. Prior to his death, Smith was a survivor of a grenade explosion on Mayflower Street in May of 2008 which confined him to a wheelchair for three months.