A yellow raincoat drenched in blood is draped outside Betty Lambert's porch — and she wants the whole of Bermuda to see a picture of it before it gets thrown away.

Her boyfriend Moses Jacobs was wearing the jacket when he crashed his motorcycle in the early hours of Saturday morning, sustaining massive head injuries which led to his death in intensive care on Monday.

Ms Lambert asked for an image of the heartbreaking evidence of the crash to be printed in The Royal Gazette to hammer home the horrific reality of road accidents and highlight the need for improved safety.

"He died so tragically and he was such a beautiful person," she said. "The coat is outside. It's saturated with blood. This is what happens when head injuries take place and that's why we need to take as much caution as we can on the roads."

Ms Lambert, of Spring Benny Road, Sandys, was among many yesterday paying tribute to the 38-year-old Corporation of Hamilton garbage truck worker and street sweeper — a father-of-one who turned his life around in recent years after a traumatic adolescence and two periods of homelessness.

His colleagues decorated banners with heartfelt messages to the man they called Roots and hung them outside the Dundonald Street yard, alongside his work vest and the shirt of his beloved Barcelona football team.

They told this newspaper that most people in the city would recognise the friendly bodybuilder and devoted dad of nine-year-old Aaron, who said good morning to everyone he passed on the trash truck and religiously pumped iron at the Olympic Club.

Mr. Jacobs, who grew up in Middletown and had lived at Greene's Guest House in Southampton for the past year, is thought to have been on his way to the gym before work on Saturday when he lost control of his bike and crashed into a residence near Jew's Bay on Middle Road, Southampton, at about 5.40 a.m.

He was rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and Ms Lambert, a teacher at Francis Patton Primary School, spent the weekend at his bedside, willing him to live.

She described him as a hugely positive person who overcame great adversity, including becoming homeless while a 15-year-old Berkeley Institute student and later sleeping in containers, as well as a period staying at the former Canadian Hotel.

"He soared like an eagle," she said. "I can't even come up with enough poetic words to express how his life became in the last few years. He didn't just have the physical beauty, he had the spiritual beauty.

"His attitude, his integrity; he was just such an inspiration. I think that's the thing that caused me to love him so much and just be his friend and be there for him."

Former nurse Ms Lambert said Mr. Jacobs — Bermuda's third road fatality of 2009 — "lived for his son" of whom he was immensely proud and got huge satisfaction from his job.

"Some people would consider that's not good enough of a job but he loved it with a passion," she said. "That energy that he conveyed was so contagious."

She added: "It's a joy to talk about him right now because of the fact that he touched my life, like he touched so many others. I'm just glad I was in his life in a personal way."

Corporation of Hamilton worker Orville Nisbett became friends with divorcee Mr. Jacobs after seeing him each morning at 5 a.m. outside the gym. He helped him get a job at the municipality and recalled how he "worked day and night".

"He said: 'I just want to battle for myself and my son'. Everything was his son. I used to give him a lift to work and one time I let him know I wasn't going to be there and he left here at three o'clock in the morning to walk to work."

Mr. Nisbett said: "I found this guy's spirit was just touching. I never met somebody so genuine."

Workmate and pal Mark Robinson, 43, also of Sandys, said a prayer at Mr. Jacobs' bedside over the weekend and joined fellow Corporation workers in a minute's silence yesterday. "Everybody in the yard was very sad," he said. "Nobody puts in more hours than him and all he talked about was his son."

Mr. Jacobs' supervisor Elbert Richardson, who was asked to identify him at the hospital on Saturday after he was brought in wearing his Corporation overalls, said: "I found him one of the best employees we had. He was a hard worker and he loved his job. We want to send our deepest condolences to his whole family. He is already missed."

Other colleagues spoke of their sorrow at the death. Irene DeSilva said: "I know he loved his job; he just couldn't wait to get to work. He was a very good father to his son."

David Patterson said: "He was a very good friend of mine. He was dedicated to his job and I don't think they are going to replace him in a sense."

Kipton Williams described the Dandy Town fan as a good man, who loved sports, worked out "morning, noon and night" and talked often about his son. Theophilus Tait said: "Knowing him was a pleasure and it's a memory I'll never forget."

Jah Mouse and Schorcer Rice said they would always remember the reggae lover as "Roots". Bubby E. Sousa, meanwhile, said he would miss him "more than you'll ever know".

"There's times he gave me advice about people," said Mr. Sousa. "When you needed help, he just came along to help you. I cried just thinking about it when I heard he'd passed away."

Hamilton Mayor Sutherland Madeiros said all at the Corporation were saddened, as Mr. Jacobs had "quickly became known for his hard work and dedication" after starting work there two years ago.

Mr. Jacobs' landlady Jane Greene said: "He was such a nice boy, always respectable. When I heard the news, I cried like it was my own son."

The funeral is expected to be held on Saturday afternoon. Witnesses to the crash should call Police on 234-1010.