A delivery driver with a "huge heart" will be out of work for months after he was hit by a car while working in Clifton.
Julio Cesar Pacheco, from Patchway, was in the collision on Monday, April 4 at around 9.30pm while working on his last job of the evening. He was rushed to hospital where x-rays showed he had broken his leg in two parts.
The 49-year-old - who works for Deliveroo and UberEats - is the sole earner of his household, meaning the family will be without income for more than six months. His friend and colleague, Felippe Chagas, has launched a fundraiser with some of his friends to help support Julio financially while he recovers.
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He described Julio as "like a father" to him and the other drivers. He said he thought someone had died when Juilo sent him an audio moments after the devastating crash.
Felippe was working with him on the day of the smash. He said: "We were working together by the Triangle, not far after 9.30pm, and we had started our last jobs and had started to stay bye to each other because Monday was a bit quiet. I said goodbye to him and another friend and I went to do my last order.
"He accepted one job and went to his last order. We all went home, I assumed he had gone home but then on Tuesday I received an audio from him, it was a terrible voice message."
Felippe recalled hearing from his friend via a voice message the day after the accident: "It sounded like someone dying he was already in huge pain in hospital. He said he had suffered an accident, the car had hit him and he had rolled on top of it, a very ugly accident."
Julio explained to his friend he had broken his leg in two parts, including his femur, as well as his ankle in the other leg. "The doctors have already said he will have to do physiotherapy and gets strength in his legs again. Being optimistic it will take six months, but it could take up to nine months. It's a long time without any income," Felippe added.
The collision is a huge blow to Julio and his wife as he is the sole income earner for the household. "There are just two of them and now they don't have any income," he said. "It is a very difficult time. It has already been difficult because it's the beginning of spring break.
"There are not many students in town which makes the market much smaller. The city is pretty empty, no drivers are making a decent amount of money and then this happens on top of that."
Julio remains in hospital more than a week after the accident. He has also recently testest positive for Covid meaning he can only have visits from his wife under the hospital protocol. "A few of us are very keen to visit him to keep him positive, but not yet."
Speaking about his friend, he continued: "He's kind of a father for us. He's 49 and there are a lot of early 20s boys in this job. He's one of those guys who would stop and give you advice personally and professionally.
"Especially some of the riders, the young ones, can get quite upset or angry if the food is delayed. Julio says 'that's the way the job goes sometimes'.
"He always comes with advice and he's the big papa for all of us. A beautiful human being with a huge heart, a loving person, and that's why everybody is doing their best to get this money for him."
Felippe was also part of the campaign group that helped delivery driver David Cappalletti raise funds for a specially adapted motorbike after it was stolen and trashed. If you are able to, you can donate to Julio's GoFundMe page here.
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