Visitor from Florida named as fourth road fatality of 2012
An 80-year-old choir singer from Florida — in Bermuda to perform at Seventh-day Adventist Churches — was killed when he crashed his rental motorcycle on Saturday.Don Wildman died after his scooter collided with a wooden barrier as he travelled west along South Road, in the area of South Shore Park, Warwick, shortly after 10am.Jeffrey Brown, president of the Church’s Bermuda Conference, described Mr Wildman as a beloved member — and the oldest member — of the Men of Markham Woods group.“Colleagues said he died doing what he loved the most, singing for his Lord,” Dr Brown told The Royal Gazette.Mr Wildman’s group sang at Seventh-day churches in Southampton, Warwick and St George’s and the Wesley Methodist Church over the weekend.Dr Brown said: “It was thought that the itinerary would have to be curtailed following the tragedy, but the group prayed and decided to continue to sing in his honour.“Our condolences are with the group and his beloved family back home in the States because when one member suffers, we all suffer together.”Mr Wildman was part of a group of men from Florida Hospital, Adventist University of Health Sciences and the general Orlando area, all members of Markham Woods Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Longwood.According to Dr Brown, they came to the Island to support efforts to sponsor Christian education at Bermuda Institute.Dr Brown said: “Their leader came to Bermuda with the Aeolians Choir during his days at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, and suggested they come.“One of the members, Fred Stephens, has a Bermuda connection. When he heard about a group who sponsor Christian education at Bermuda Institute, he wanted his group to sing in support of the endeavour.”Bermuda Police Service said in a statement: “It appears that an 80-year-old man on a livery cycle was travelling west on South Road in the area of South Shore Park in Warwick, when he lost control of his cycle and collided with a wooden railing.“This resulted in the tourist from Florida being taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.”Mr Wildman is Bermuda’s fourth road fatality of 2012. Any witnesses to the accident should call Pc Tim Evelyn on 295-0011.