Father of five Kezie Blondell always loved cars, motorcycles and racing. Tragically, less than a year after he began riding, he lost his life after his motorcycle crashed along the highway in La Brea on Sunday night. Thirty-four-year-old Blondell, a mechanic and lifeguard, was the only breadwinner in his family.
Police said Blondell, who had been liming with friends, was riding his blue Suzuki 600 along the Vance River Access Road around 7:35 pm, when he attempted to overtake a Honda Civic near the ramp leading to the Archibald & De Leon Highway, lost control and crashed into the concrete barriers. He was transported by ambulance to the Point Fortin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8.42 p.m. The mangled motorcycle was towed to the La Brea Police Station.
When Guardian Media visited his home at Charles Street in La Romain yesterday, his wife, Alisha Blondell, said their eldest daughter—age 16—was aware of the accident but she had not yet broken the news to their other children, the youngest of whom is five years old. She said her husband left home around 4.30 pm on Sunday to go riding with his friends.
“This is first time he actually went bike riding with them. He always say he don’t really like group, he like to ride by himself, but this is the first time he decide to go with a group.”
While she admitted to feeling a “little anxious” when he bought his first motorcycle almost a year ago, she said she was confident he was a responsible rider. She said he then bought another motorcycle—the one he was riding—two months ago.
“He went out a lot and come back. It wasn’t on my mind to say he will drive reckless or anything like that. He always say the bike have speed but you just have to know how to drive it.”
She said her husband was ambitious and talented and had applied to join the Prison Service, but riding was his passion.
“Yes, he like racing and he into speed. He like fixing stuff, building vehicles. That was his fun.”
She said she spoke with her husband after he left with his friends.
“He went driving about. He sent me a video as to where he was. He said he had a few more stops to make with the bike guys. He didn’t give a specific location.”
Recalling her last conversation with him, she said, “He said that how he was on his way back and then I got a call from his friends saying that he got in an accident.” She advised road users to be careful on the nation’s roads.
“You never know what to expect you have to drive for yourself and for other people too,” she said.
La Brea police are investigating.
