No police lead yet in Jovelle’s case

Eleven-year-old Jovelle Caesar of Carenage lies in the Intensive Care Unit at the Mt Hope Hospital connected to tubes. Three machines monitor his vital signs. His legs are bandaged. His right side is bandaged down to his pelvis. His eyes are blood shot. One of his hands is broken and the other is fractured. A tube runs from his right lung draining blood and fluid from the lung which has collapsed. There are lacerations on his shoulders and chest, and his neck is in a brace.

Jovelle is conscious and tried to speak to his mother, Janice Joseph, but the tube in his mouth makes it difficult. He cried as he whispered to her that he was very, very thirsty. Jovelle was run over by a car on Carnival Tuesday at Green Corner, Park and St. Vincent Streets. According to eyewitnesses, the boy was dragged by the car along Park Street, but the driver, said to be a policeman, did not stop and is yet to come forward.

Janice Joseph told Newsday yesterday that more surgery had to be done on Jovelle because of an infection in his wounds. “The police are still saying they don’t know who is responsible. I wish whoever did this to Jovelle would come forward.” She visits her son everyday and is praying for his recovery. Central Police Station, which has been making enquiries, gave her a car licence number, but when checked the number was not registered at the Licensing Office.

Jovelle is being heavily sedated for the pain. His aunt Gemma, who was at the scene of the accident, is concerned that the police have been unable to take any action. “Imagine with all those people there! And many were smaller in body than him,” she said, adding that she hoped the police would do their duty and serve justice.