‘Who hits a 90-year-old man?’
Bill Short’s family shocked to hear he was assaulted in what appeared to be a case of road rage
He could’ve been driving slowly. He might’ve even inadvertently crossed in front him on the roadway.
But no matter what happened Thursday afternoon on a busy Mount Pearl street, 90-year-old Bill Short didn’t deserve to be punched in the face, his niece told The Telegram Friday.
“I can see somebody being verbal, but not to be actually physical,” Short’s niece Racquel (Short) Holwell told The Telegram Friday.
“Being verbal(ly abusive) wouldn’t be nice either, but at least when he saw he was an older man, he could’ve left it at that and not hit him.”
The incident — which appeared to be a case of road rage — happened just after noon in the area of Topsail Road and Park Avenue, near Mount Pearl Square.
Holwell said it’s still unclear exactly what happened, but a man had apparently stopped along the roadway behind her uncle’s car and put on his hazard lights.
She said the man then got out of his car, approached her uncle and proceeded to assault him.
“I can only image how helpless he must’ve felt,” she said of her uncle. “He can’t defend himself the way the younger person can and couldn’t even get away.”
Shortly after the incident, she said, a construction worker who had noticed Short in his car called an ambulance, who took him to hospital to treat his injuries.
“He was that much in shock and was so distraught at the time, when his daughter called him, he didn’t know which hospital he was in,” Holwell said. “He was very confused.”
Holwell said Short’s daughter called her later in the day to tell her what had happened.
“I was shocked, but I have to admit, I was a bit outraged,” she said. “Who hits a 90-year-old man? …
“It makes you think that if he’d do this to an older man, who else would he do it to? I’ve got a 17-year-old daughter. Would he have given her a smack?”
She said while her uncle could certainly hold his own in an argument, she said he would never say anything to spark that kind of violence.
Holwell said the family made the decision to share the photo of Short at the hospital. The shocking image of with a bandage on his face, bruises and a swollen lip sparked public outrage.
As of Friday afternoon, the photo was shared more than 13,000 times on Facebook, while media posts of the incident were shared tens of thousands of times more.
Holwell said the family has been touched by the support and hopes it will help find the man who did it.
“Everyone is as outraged as we are,” she said. “Maybe the man who did it will get a bit of self-realization and come forward.”
The RNC is investigating and is looking to the public for help.
“This is a very upsetting incident,” RNC media relations officer Const. James Cadigan said. “With the assistance of the public, we hope to identify the individual
“I can only image how helpless he must’ve felt. He can’t defend himself the way the younger person can.”
Racquel (Short) Holwell, niece of 90-year-old Bill Short
responsible.”
The man allegedly responsible for this assault is believed to be between 30 to 40 years old and is described as tall and slender.
The suspect vehicle is reported to be an orange sedan, with the last three digits of the licence plate being 892.
Holwell said she hadn’t talked to Short, who turned off his phone Friday and opted to have a quiet day with his wife. She said he likely is not aware of all the publicity.
Holwell said her uncle — who grew up in Harbour Grace and lived in Pouch Cove for several years — worked his whole life, mostly in the fishery, until he retired. He owned his own boats and was involved in the fisheries union, she said.
Holwell said her uncle is still very active and sharp.
“He has a big family and there was a big get-together for his 90th birthday in September …,” she said.
“He loves going out and around and he still comes to visit me.”
She said the family hopes Short will recover from this incident and hopes the man who assaulted him will be found.
Anyone with information that could help in the investigation is asked to call the RNC at 729-8000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477). Information can also be provided anonymously on the NL Crime Stoppers Website at www.nlcrimestoppers.com.
Investigators are also asking that anyone with dash camera or CCTV footage in the area of Mount Pearl Square on Topsail Road on Thursday between noon and 1 p.m., to call the RNC.