PM’s son injured in motorbike accident

Storm Gonsalves, youngest son of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, had to be flown to Barbados on Wednesday night for medical attention after he was involved in a motor vehicular accident earlier that afternoon on the Sion Hill public road.{{more}}

Hans King, Press Secretary to Prime Minister Gonsalves, announced yesterday that the prime minister had left the state to accompany his 17-year-old son for further medical attention.

Speaking from Barbados yesterday morning, Prime Minister Gonsalves said Storm is “doing as well as can be expected.” He stated it appears that Storm is going to be “ok.”

Storm had to be rushed to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) in Kingstown after the accident, which occurred along the public road at Sion Hill around 4:50 p.m.

He was riding a motorcycle which contacted a mini-bus. The impact threw Storm against a lamp pole.

SEARCHLIGHT caught up with Prime Minister Gonsalves as he awaited word on his son’s condition at the MCMH.

The elder Gonsalves said preliminary results indicated that Storm had suffered a fractured right arm. He added that his son was also complaining of pain in the chest.

Gonsalves noted that Storm had suffered other injuries about the body, including his leg.

The prime minister disclosed that further tests were being conducted to assess the extent of the injuries.

At the time Dr. Gonsalves stated that the youngster, who attends the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College Division of Arts, Sciences, and General Studies, might have to be taken out of state for a Computed Tomography (CT) scan.

This was to determine whether or not there were any internal head injuries due to the fact that the young man’s head made impact with a lamp pole.

“Fortunately he was wearing a helmet, if not he would have been dead” said Dr. Gonsalves.

The helmet worn by Storm was cracked.

An eyewitness told SEARCHLIGHT that Storm collided with a mini-bus which was attempting to pass some vehicles.

“I was coming down (cycling) off Sion Hill and the van stopped as he saw me approaching,” said the eyewitness.

He added that after he rode past, the mini bus pulled out and at this point, Storm, who was already coming from behind, collided with the van.

Storm is the second child born to Prime Minister Gonsalves and his wife Eloise, their other children being Isis and Soleil. He is Dr. Gonsalves’ third son, the older sons being Camillo and Adam.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gonsalves credited his son for usually adhering to road safety rules and wearing safety apparel.

Dr. Gonsalves was scheduled to deliver a New Year’s message to the nation at 8 yesterday evening on radio and television. That broadcast has been rescheduled to next Monday, January 11, 2010.