Deceased’s aunt says cycling fraternity ignored family
Novelette Wint, the aunt of Anthony Gordon, a 26-yearold auto body technician who died in a bike crash involving national cyclist Marloe Rodman on Sunday morning, said that she is disappointed with what she said is the lack of concern shown by members of the Jamaica Cycling Federation after the incident.
A police report regarding the accident said that Rodman, a former Caribbean cycling champion, was allegedly doing stunts with his motorcycle when he lost control. The bike then fell on top of Gordon, who was seated on a stationary bike.
Wint said that the police report conflicts with newly elected Jamaica Cycling Federation president Joylene Griffiths Irving’s account of the crash that her nephew’s motorcycle had no headlight.
“That is a lie. Police have the two bikes, you know. They released some information about that,” Wint said.
On Sunday, when asked about Gordon’s condition, Griffiths Irving said that she had no information on the other rider. But Wint said that there was no way she could not have known that he was in a bad condition as both were hospitalised at the same time.
“His neck was broken. It was devastating,” Wint said. “You can’t pronounce him dead until the doctor does that, but they (eyewitnesses) said he died on the spot because his head was in the spokes of the bike wheel, and it took a while to take him out. When they rushed him to the hospital, we got the news that him dead.
“Nobody really reached out to the family, I’ll tell you the truth. His parents, nobody. That night, everybody was down at the hospital, both Anthony side and his (Rodman) side. Everybody was weeping that Anthony died and nobody came to comfort anybody on Anthony side or Anthony mother, or reach out to us. We just have to take time and digest it, but listen, we don’t want an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth. It could have gone both ways. Anthony passed away, but we just need closure,” Wint lamented.
STAR Sports contacted Rodman, his coach Carlton Simmonds, and Griffiths Irving for a comment, but calls to all parties’ phones went unanswered.