“I realized his arm had an open fracture,” the 14-year-old’s mother said. “I can see the large hematoma on his head, and he’s just screaming in pain.”<\/p>\n
ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. \u2014 A 14\u2011year\u2011old boy is recovering from a serious mini motorbike crash near Mayport Road that left him with multiple broken bones, a lacerated spleen and a head injury.<\/p>\n
Tracy Diana said her son, Jaimon \u201cJT\u201d Cohens, was riding his mini motorbike the night of March 23 when he collided with another rider in a head\u2011on crash near a busy intersection just off Mayport Road, close to a laundromat and caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Both were on mini motorbikes and were traveling at an estimated 30 to 35 mph, which Diana said \u201cdoesn\u2019t seem like a lot\u201d in a car, \u201cbut on a mini motorbike, that\u2019s pretty fast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diana was getting ready for bed when JT\u2019s friend knocked on her door with a look she\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis friend came in the door with the most awful face and my heart dropped,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was like, \u2018JT was in an accident.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Diana, a nurse, rushed to the scene and found her son lying in the middle of the road. She described seeing an open fracture in his arm, with bone protruding, a large hematoma on his head and JT screaming in pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so grateful that my child was alive, because it could have been a different story,\u201d Diana said.<\/p>\n
At UF Health Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital, surgeons operated on his arm and stabilized his leg. Doctors later performed a second surgery on his leg after the initial swelling subsided.<\/p>\n
Diana said her son suffered a lacerated spleen as well, causing his blood count to drop overnight, though it began to improve in the days that followed.<\/p>\n
JT is using a wheelchair and cannot walk for several weeks and is expected to be in some form of recovery for up to 10 weeks, his mother said. He will likely need physical therapy to regain strength in his injured arm and leg.<\/p>\n
Diana credits JT\u2019s helmet with saving his life. The exterior was cracked in two places and all the paint had been rubbed off where it made contact.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it weren\u2019t for his helmet, this story could have ended very differently,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Diana said JT has always loved riding, recalling video of him at age 5, wearing a big helmet and grinning on a small motorcycle. Now, she hopes his near\u2011fatal crash will prompt other parents and teens to take safety more seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cElbow pads, knee pads, I don\u2019t know,\u201d Diana said. \u201cI know kids would hate that, but when it comes down to it, when you know it saved your child\u2019s life, you got to think about that part, because you never know what\u2019ll happen.\u201d<\/p>\n