Although drained after an exhausting 18-hour shift, an off-duty paramedic sprung into action on Tuesday night to help save the life of a young father who was sprawled motionless on a Portmore, St Catherine roadway, following a hit-and-run crash.

Oneil Walters had been struck by a Toyota Voxy travelling towards Kingston. Thrown from his motorcycle and lying unconscious on the roadway, Walters appeared to have suffered severe head injuries, and every passing second could have determined whether he lived or died.

The paramedic, who is also a correctional officer, asked that his identity be protected because of the nature of his job. He said that, months before, he had promised himself that he would no longer stop at accident scenes after witnessing a traumatic fatality. However, when he saw Walters lying helpless on the asphalt, fatigue gave way to instinct.