Students pray for classmate after bike crash

Cornell ‘Bread’ Bailey, a popular student at Saltus Grammar School, had planned to go to Canada to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot when he graduates in June. His acceptance to a top aviation school in Toronto arrived in the mail the day after the accident.

The teenager suffered head injuries when his purple and black Honda Scoopy moped collided with another bike and careered into a light pole near Shelly Bay just before 6pm on Monday.

A 19-year-old truck driver Cameron Harris was first on the scene and came to the aid of the victim, giving him CPR, which may have saved his life.

Mr. Harris, also a St John’s Ambulance volunteer, said the teenager wasn’t breathing immediately following the crash. But he was able to stabilize him until the ambulance arrived.

Cornell, who also works part time at Miles supermarket, was rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Paget and was later flown off the island by air ambulance.

His school friend Julesa Robinson, 18, was in the queue of traffic that built up following the crash.

“I didn’t see the accident but I recognized his bike straight away.

“When I got there the guy was already down on the floor checking his pulse. I had to find a knife so he could cut off his backpack and start CPR.

“He was just lying there and he wouldn’t respond. He started to move his hand at one point but then he never came back.”

Julesa followed the ambulance to the hospital where around 70 friends and family members gathered over the course of the evening.

Several of his classmates from Saltus were there and they held a prayer for their friend at his bedside. Eddy DeSilva, 17, said: “A few of us went down to the hospital. We stayed till about midnight just trying to support him and his family. We ended with a nice group prayer.”

John Beard, head of the upper school at Saltus, brought Cornell’s classmates together again yesterday morning to update them on what had happened and to pray for their friend.

They have produced a giant purple card with the message: “Stay up Bread, We Love You” to be couriered to him at Massachusetts General Hospital, where his mother, father, sister and aunt are maintaining a vigil at his bedside.

His cousin Mahtorrie Wilkinson, 24, said the large family, from St George’s, were hopeful of a full recovery.

She said: “He’s a very strong, positive boy and we are confident he will pull through.

“We are keeping positive thoughts in our head, we are praying and we know he’s going to make it.”

Crowd

Ms Wilkinson was also caught up in the tailbacks from the accident and had taken a detour through Devil’s Hole when she got a call to tell her, it was her cousin that had been injured.

She said a large crowd had gathered at the hospital when she arrived, including their pastor and a large contingent of his school friends.

“So many people have called and sent messages on Facebook or BB. He’s got so much support we know he is going to pull through.

“All we can do is keep the faith. He’s a strong, bold, positive young man. He’s a good role model. He wants to be a pilot. He’s very serious about achieving that.”

Cornell has been accepted to several colleges in Canada but had his heart set on studying aviation at Seneca College.

His acceptance letter to the school arrived the day after the accident.

“We just got his acceptance through this morning,” Mr. Beard said.

“It is his dream to be a pilot.”

Mr. Beard said the whole school had been rocked by the incident.

“He’s a very popular, outgoing young man with a great attitude and a great smile. He’s part of the life and soul of the school.”

School counsellors also talked with the students yesterday.

Eugene Ball, 18, said he was confident his friend would recover.

“We started Saltus together and we will finish it together,” he said.

Katrina Simmons, 17, added: “Our love and prayers are with him. He’s always been a joker. He’s a good friend. If you’re ever down he puts a smile on your face.”

Cornell’s nickname developed over the years. First it was corn cakes, then corn pops, then corn bread. Now his friends just know him as bread.

Eddy DeSilva said he and ‘Bread’ were part of a group of teenagers, along with 16-year-old Leonard Williams, that were bike fanatics.

“We were always working on our bikes trying to make them look the best and, I must admit, run the best. He is all about that bike. He loves his purple and black Honda Scoopy.”

He said the accident had been a wake-up call to all of them about safety on the roads.

He added: “We are keeping our thoughts and prayers with him. It is in God’s hands now and in the hands of the doctors overseas.”

Related story: Quick-thinking teen went to aid of stricken motorcyclist