Teen experiences hit-and-run nightmare

At 17, Tyease Colquhoun was looking forward to starting nursing school, but her hopes have been thrown into uncertainty after she was struck by a motorcycle on her way to church.

The incident has left her with multiple injuries and her family struggling to shoulder the mounting medical costs. The Bickersteth, St James, teen told THE WEEKEND STAR that the frightening ordeal has possibly scarred her for life. Tyease recalled crossing the road on Saturday, August 8, to enter a taxi, when she saw the motorcycle approaching “at a good speed”.

“I checked the road to see if anything was coming. When I was crossing over, I saw this bike coming. And when I saw the bike, I panicked. I only saw the bike swing left and right and that was it,” she said softly.

Tyease said she was out for what seemed like two minutes, but when she tried to stand, she was confronted with the stark reality of her injuries.

“When I looked at my foot, I saw blood, and then I saw that my foot was completely broken. I saw the bones are disconnected. So then I just blacked out completely again until I reached the hospital,” she said. Tyease was reportedly transported to the Cornwall Regional Hospital by the taxi operator, but when she regained consciousness there, she found herself giving thanks.

“I started to worship in myself. I started to thank God for not, you know, allowing me to die. I wasn’t feeling any pain then because I was in shock. I just sat there and I was just, I was looking at God’s goodness,” she said.

Tyease said that one of the two men who were on the motorcycle was also in hospital, where he was treated for scrapes. But he left before the police arrived. When THE WEEKEND STAR contacted the Cambridge police, the individual with whom the team spoke, said he saw no report of an accident, and directed queries to the sergeant.

Tyease’s sister, Collia Colquhoun, explained that her sister sustained multiple injuries, including a shattered tibia, cracked ankle bone and broken cheek bone. She further explained that the family has since been left grappling with the financial burden of Tyease’s recovery and have lost track of exactly how much has been spent. She gave “an estimate of $300,000 already on just hospital visits”. Colquhoun said her sister, who has been staying with her since the accident, required items such as a wheelchair and a separate bed to accommodate her, and medication. When Colquhoun cannot take her sister for medical visits, she also has to charter transportation.

While the family is hoping that the men involved in the crash will eventually come forward and assist with some of the expenses, Tyease, who is now navigating her days on crutches, said she has been advised that surgery may be necessary to repair the damage.

“If I am going to get a surgery at the private facility, it would be $2.7 million, and if I was going to do it at the public hospital, I would have to wait around February or March,” she said.

Tyease also admitted that she is struggling with the mental impact of the crash, particularly when she hears motorcycles, which is a frequent sound in the community.

“Hearing bikes just make me uncomfortable, it is like my ears are ringing, and my body feels like I’m afraid,” she said.

Still, despite the pain, financial strain and uncertainty surrounding her recovery, Tyease remains determined not to let the crash derail her dream of becoming a nurse. Instead she is using her visits for treatment as a learning experience.

“This is not going to keep me down forever. They gave me three to six months for it to healed and then probably I’ll have to move to therapy to walk again, but I don’t think it’s delaying my dreams.”