A devastated father last night paid tribute to his popular son who was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Sport-loving Shannon Nusum, 20, of Hamilton Parish, had been on his way to work at the Bermuda Industrial Union's Credit Union when he collided with a truck on North Shore Road on Monday.

He spent more than three days in intensive care in hospital but was pronounced dead late on Thursday night, making him Bermuda's fifth fatal road accident victim of 2007.

Tributes yesterday poured in from Mr. Nusum's family, friends, colleagues and sporting team-mates.

The victim's grieving dad, Sheridan Nusum, said his son would be deeply missed.

"Everybody loved him," he said. "He was amazing. I knew he was, but I perhaps didn't realise how much — people have been calling with support, even people we don't know.

"It's too quiet around here without him. Everyone has been affected by his loss.

"He was very family orientated. He was able to deal with the youngsters as well as the older ones. He had a rapport with everyone, no matter how old they were. He just got along with people."

Mr. Nusum said his son was a talented sportsman, who played cricket for Flatts and football for Devonshire Colts.

He revealed the family were trying to come to terms with their loss by remembering the way his son used to make them laugh. Some family members had affectionately nicknamed him "Termite" because he was small as a youngster.

"He was a jokester, a real character," he said.

"He would leave his bike on the range and come in through the door quietly, creep up to the counter and then beat on it really loud. It would scare the pants off you."

Mr. Nusum Jr.'s mum Freida was too upset to comment last night. The victim also leaves two older brothers, Sean, 35, and Sheridan, 24.

Football team-mate Keimon Lawrence, 32, was a good friend as well as his cousin. He lived upstairs from Mr. Nusum.

"He would bang on the ceiling to let me know it's time to play on the PlayStation, then I'd go downstairs and we'd play," said Mr. Lawrence. "He loved Fifa 2007, that was our game — and he was a sore loser!"

Lee Holder, vice president of Devonshire Colts, said: "I knew him very well. He was a really good kid. I found him to be very teachable, which is something you find less and less with young people these days. The kid had integrity.

"My thoughts are with his parents. None of us expect to bury our kids, especially in these circumstances."

Mr. Holder said the club had been nurturing Mr. Nusum's footballing talents.

"He came late to football, but he was breaking in," he said.

Mr. Nusum was said to be a well-liked member of the team at the Credit Union.

Bermuda Industrial Union spokesman Louis Somner said: "He was a very nice young man. He will be sorely missed at the Credit Union — you can tell that by how devastated everybody is at the moment."

Mr. Nusum was involved in a collision with a heavy truck at the junction of North Shore Road and Jennings Road, in Smith's, at about 9.40 a.m. on Monday.

He suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the Intensive Care Unit of King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 11.25 p.m. on Thursday.

The Public Safety Ministry last night reminded people to take care on the roads.

"This is indeed another tragic moment for Bermuda, as we have lost another citizen," said a spokeswoman.

"The Minister of Public Safety and Housing, Sen. David Burch, recently endorsed the Bermuda Road Safety Council's 'Choose Life' campaign and it is heartbreaking that so soon on the heels of its unveiling, we have lost another life to the Island's roads.

"As has often been said one life lost is one life too many. As such, and in the interest of public safety, the Minister reiterates his appeal to all motorists to use common sense and always think safety first while driving on the Island's roads."

Minister of Education, Sports and Recreation Randy Horton knows both of Mr. Nusum's parents. He extended his condolences to them yesterday.

"It's really a tragedy that we have lost another young bright Bermudian to the roads," he said.

Police are seeking witnesses to the accident and urge anyone with information to call the traffic enforcement unit on 299-4265 or the main number on 295-0011.

Bermuda records fifth road fatality