Bellevue/St. Peters: --- Twenty-Two year- old Leonado Carter better known as Nado is the first person to lose his life on the roads on the French St. Martin. Carter died on the spot on Bellevue road after losing control of his motorcycle on Sunday morning. According to his, mother Valerie Carter her son left home around 7 am to go to the racetrack in Bellevue. She said Leonado built the bike he was riding from scratch as he first ordered a manual and then the parts online to build this bike, which he considered very special.Mrs. Carter said two of her late son's friends came to her home around 5 am and woke up Leonardo so he could go to the racetrack where he was supposed to ride the bike for the first time. "Leonado is always at the track even if he is just a spectator at times," his mother explained.
The distraught mother said shortly after 10.00 am one of her niece went to her and informed her that her son had gotten into an accident and the French gendarmes were not releasing him unless someone could identify him. The mother said she was taken to the scene where she saw her son's body on the ground. "When I saw him there I asked them why he was still there and why no one took him to the hospital. I also wanted to know why they could not identify him since Leonardo always walks with his documents. It was then I learnt from some of the bystanders that a "white French woman" took his belongings and left with it. This person stole my son's telephone, his necklace, ring, and a backpack containing all his documents for the bike as well as himself." Mrs. Carter said the gendarmes told her that when they arrived on the scene they did not find anything on her son's body. "What I don't understand is why no one stopped the person who stripped my dead son of his belongings. I also want to know where are the two friends who came to my home early in the morning to take Leonado to the racetrack. How is it they could not identify him and why they never came back to the house to let me know what took place." She asked.
However, late Sunday evening the two friends visited Mrs. Carter and informed her that what she heard were all rumors. Mrs. Carter told SMN News late Sunday evening that the friends told her they are in possession of all her son belongings including another bike, all of which they promised to hand over on Monday.Mrs. Carter further explained that her son was fully dressed in his biker suit, shoe, and helmet yet he suffered severe head and bodily injuries. The mother said they are of the opinion that her son broke his neck during the accident but that could not be confirmed.
She said she learnt her son lost control of the bike and hit on a huge rock. "I found his gloves and shoe in a tree on the side of the road.
At her home, she had small pieces from the bike as well as parts of the helmet, which she picked up from the side of the road. So far, there is no official communication from the gendarmes about the deadly accident has been released. Commandant Stephanne Arrousseau said an investigation into the fatal accident has just begun.
SMN News learnt that Leonado was racing along the Bellevue road with another person side by side when he lost control and crashed into a concrete wall. It is understood that the two bikers began racing from the Cole Bay border toward Marigot when the accident occurred. Up to press time no one could say who was the other biker.
Leonado Carter, was born in Rhode Island USA, he was a former student of the St. Maarten Academy and employee of Seaview Hotel. He leaves to mourn his mother, father, sister, and girlfriend.
