Son struck off bike, dies

“Daddy, don’t stress, I will make you proud.”

Those are the last words Richard Alleyne remembers hearing from his son Ritre Alleyne before the promising 21-year-old of Eastbourne, St. Philip became this year’s fourth road fatality.

At around 9:20 p.m. on Monday, Ritre was knocked off of his bicycle when he collided with a vehicle reportedly driven by a woman. He was one in a group of young riders when the accident occurred at the junction of Castle Heights and East Bourne Main Road, St Philip, a stone’s throw away from home. It is unclear where the group was coming from.

Tragically ironic is also the fact that the incident occurred in the midst of an aggressive campaign aimed at protecting cyclists after the recent deaths of 36-year-old Melanie Watts and former West Indies fast bowler Ezra Moseley in similar fashion.

Grieving relatives and friends of the latest victim were less focused on attributing blame as they all converged at a family home in their St. Philip community, comforting one another in their time of mourning.

Ritre’s father who single-handedly raised the young man, recounted receiving the dreadful news that his son had been knocked down. When he arrived at the scene, his son had already succumbed to his injuries.

According to Alleyne, Ritre had aspirations of becoming an engineer and at times spoke of becoming a fireman. In the meantime however, he was well known for assisting persons in the community.

In the midst of the economically taxing pandemic, the 21-year-old set his sights on getting a job to assist with responsibilities at home and up until his last day, was said to have been filling out and submitting job applications.

“If anyone wanted a bed forked up, a car washed or anything, he would always be helpful. You could send him to the shop even if your own children are at home. He just friendly and he helps everybody and he came up the old-time way, so he would speak to everybody,” said Alleyne as he struggled to hold back tears.

“But then he said ‘daddy, you do everything, I got to help. I have to find a job’, and his other friends had jobs, so he wanted one too.

“He went to Robert’s [Manufacturing], he wanted to go to Barbados Water Authority and he was just trying to get a job. He even carried his certificates and CXCs. He was just trying and he died trying… All that is on my mind are the words ‘daddy, I am going to make you proud’,” Alleyne recalled.

The former Bayley’s Primary School and Christ Church Foundation student was also remembered for outstanding performances in cricket at the primary school level and for his avid support of English Football Club Manchester City FC.

Ritre’s uncle, Terry Beckles told Barbados TODAY that upon hearing the tragic news, his knees got weak.

“I don’t know how to take it. He is the first of my nephews and me and his father brought him up and his other brother from seeds to what they are now. If I had five cents, half is his and I would hold the other piece,” Beckles said.

“It is a sad thing man and I don’t know how to cope with it. I can remember when he was small and a little toddler, I used to have him regularly and I would carry him for a morning walk. Right now a spot is just missing because when you saw Ritre, it would just be laughter, but now, there’s no laughter anymore,” he lamented.  (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)