PORT ANTONIO, Portland — The scene of 84-year-old Dudley Stewart’s road accident told a story.

A packet of Goya large Lima beans forlornly separated from the rest of the day’s shopping; his brown hat — jazzed up with black trimming — had come to rest on a culvert; his crumpled bicycle in a pool of water, front wheel bent, combined to paint a vivid picture.

Sadly there was no clue that has so far led to prosecution of the individual who hit him from his bicycle on April 9. A passing motorist gathered Stewart’s broken body from Folly Road and took him to Port Antonio Hospital but he died three days later.

Fondly called Mass Papa, the elderly man had planned to cook chicken for Sunday dinner and was on his way to get water when he was hit from his bicycle. Three water jugs and his shopping bag with the purchased poultry were among items at the scene.

Stewart’s sons have been gutted by the abruptness with which he has been wrenched from their lives.

“I was cut up when I was told about the accident,” said Robert, his eldest who lives in St James.

He and his brother Carlington spoke with the Jamaica Observer outside their father’s house in Anchovy, Port Antonio.

A niece broke the news to Robert and when he journeyed to Portland and saw his father in hospital it was a lot to process.

“He was lying on his back, head taped up, plaster up, drip — all kind of instrument string up on him — and they say I am not to wake him,” he recalled. “I looked at him and I saw him open up his eye and use his hand to move the plaster over his face. He did not see me and I left.”

He said he returned the next day “bright and early” and was encouraged by the fact that his father recognised him and was able to tell him he had been hit from his bicycle by a car and the driver did not stop.

The doctor thought Stewart looked better than the day he came in but he complained of pain in his head, chest and foot.

“I went back Monday evening and put on clothes on him and went back Tuesday evening and talked to him. He said, ‘Robbie boy, pray for me because in my old age here now it’s the hottest lick in my life that I ever get. I am feeling pain all over. Call who you can call and come together and pray for me,'” Robert said.

As he left, his father told him “Be good and be careful”. In response, he urged his dad to obey the medical staff’s instructions. Stewart promised that he would be good, because his son had asked that of him.

Robert said he was back at the hospital at 3:00 pm the next day. His father’s bed was empty. A doctor eventually broke the news to him that his father died at 4:30 that morning. They had tried to get him earlier but were unsuccessful, he was told, before being advised to visit the police station.

According to Robert, nothing significant was accomplished during Wednesday’s visit to the police station but he left his number, as required, and received a phone call two days later.

“They said they have the body and will have to get a post-mortem done, and they will call me when it is to be done so that I can pick out my father. Outside of that, no police from Port Antonio has called anybody from my family, or been in contact, or ask any question,” he told the Observer.

His questions, he said, have been met with hostility and lawmen pointing out that he was not at the scene when his father was toppled from his bicycle so he would “just have to sit down and wait”.

It has been hard to grasp that Stewart — who rode his bicycle to and from his shop in Prospect each day, did a little farming, plus raised rabbits and chickens in his spare time — is gone.

“My dad was active up to the time of his death,” said Robert. “He takes his time and ride back with his piece of meat to come look about his and his son’s dinner.”

Carlington, Robert’s 40-year-old brother and the second to last of Stewart’s five children, has been left equally stunned by his father’s death.

“I live with daddy, take care of him and did all I could do, until his passing. He was a loving and caring father who took care of his children,” he said.

According to Carlington, he was the one who first alerted the police to the traffic mishap from which his father died.

He said that while he was making his report on April 9 a man, who he believes is the driver of the vehicle that hit his father, was also giving the police a report.

“The officer asked him where his car was and he told him at a garage. He was told by the officer that it needs to be at the station. The officer made a call and got a wrecker to take up the car,” Carlington said, adding that he left his and Robert’s numbers with the cops, but up to April 24 they had not yet been called with an update.

According to police sources, the driver was warned for prosecution and for careless, dangerous, and reckless driving.

“We are all devastated, the whole family,” said Carlington.

“Dad was taking home some meat to look after dinner and he didn’t pass Folly Road… I want justice for him,” he said.