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A Belfast lorry driver is “physically and mentally” exhausted after leaving hospital where he was treated for injuries caused when a wheelie bin filled with rocks was hurled from an overpass onto his cab.
octors say Fra McCaffrey may need further plastic surgery on his face.
“He’s improved massively since getting out of hospital four days ago but his eyesight is still not there and the doctors are not hopeful that it will return to full capacity,” said his son Dan.
“When they say full capacity, they mean – best case scenario – 30% in his right eye. Worst case is that he won’t have any sight in his eye.”
The 56-year-old is still trying to understand what happened when the bin was thrown at his lorry as he drove under the Ballyboley overpass outside Larne at around 10.30pm on January 8.
He has had two operations to remove shattered windscreen glass and has been told he will never drive a lorry again.
He visited the scene of the incident on Saturday, where he was working his night shift delivering a consignment to the Royal Mail office in Larne.
“He wanted to see it and see if he can remember anything specific about the day or about the event,” said Dan.
“He’s strong-minded but he’s physically and mentally upset and exhausted from it and he doesn’t have any clear answers.”
While Mr McCaffrey has memories, he didn’t see anyone involved when one of the large rocks from the bin struck him.
He can remember blood dripping from his face after the incident.
“When he got hit initially he was blind in both eyes, he couldn’t see at all,” said his son.
“He said he almost stood on the brake to get the vehicle stopped and he was very, very rigid holding on to the steering wheel.”
A PSNI investigation is ongoing.
Dan said the family were still “upset and angry” over what happened.
“The moment when I brought my dad down on Saturday, I felt disgust,” he added.
“I was thinking, how do these people throw the bin off and watch my dad stop and struggle and fall when he gets out of the van because he can’t see?
“Are they watching that or are they long gone? It’s that feeling of such anger and frustration.”
Mr McCaffrey will visit hospital again in a week’s time for further assessment of his injuries. “He had plastic surgery that needs to be checked out and we’ve been told that won’t just be a one-time occurrence and he may need more surgery,” Dan added.
The family are trying to keep Mr McCaffrey’s spirits up, and he has received many calls and messages from well-wishers.
Dan said he thinks his father should speak to someone to help him process the incident. “I’m trying to prepare my dad for the fact he may need counselling when everything quietens down,” he said.
The PSNI has asked anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the area of the overpass or who captured dash-cam footage of the incident on the evening of January 8 to contact officers on the 101 number, quoting reference number 1944 08/01/21.
Belfast Telegraph
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