Accident On Phillip Goldson Highway Leaves Loggers Critically Injured

An accident occurred on Thursday night between Miles thirty-four and thirty five in an area known as Rhaburn Ridge on the Philip Goldson Highway. A vehicle, a small Audi, collided into the back of a Masey Ferguson trailer loaded with pine logs being towed by a tractor. The trailer did not have any head or tail lights when Corozal businessman, Sembo Wu, crashed into it. Wu fortunately sustained minor injuries, but five men travelling in the trailer were seriously injured and hospitalized. In the impact, the heavy logs were strewn all over the highway. Interestingly, the logs were not marked. Mike Rudon has the following report.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

Our News Five got to the accident scene just minutes after it happened, at seven fifteen. Glass was strewn over the road, along with logs and unidentifiable vehicle parts. Three men were lying on the ground on one side of the road. One, covered in blood, had an obvious injury to the head, and one arm was broken. Another’s leg from the knee to the ankle was torn open, with the bone protruding. One other man seemed less seriously injured, but was obviously disoriented.

On the other side of the road was a tractor attached to a trailer loaded with these logs, which we were told is freshly cut pine. Some of those logs had become dislodged in the accident and were scattered across the road. Beside the tractor was this crushed piece of metal which used to be an Audi SUV. The driver, Corozal resident Sembo Wu, was sitting inside, unhurt…perhaps largely because the airbag of the late model vehicle deployed on impact.

The tractor, we are told, was heading to Carmelia with its load of logs. The SUV was heading in the same direction and smashed into it from the rear at what, judging from the impact, must have been significant speed. As we said, the driver of the SUV, Sembo Wu, miraculously survived what should by appearance have been a fatal accident. He said that there was nothing he could do to avoid the collision.

Sembo Wu, Accident Survivor

“I was coming from Belize City and this tractor was in front of me, had no signal and no lights. I could not see him. When I saw him it was already close. So this happened.”

Reporter

“Okay what did you see? How many people did you see on the tractor?”

Sembo Wu

“I’m not sure. As the accident happen I come out from my vehicle. I see one person get hurt and three, four persons around the man that get hurt. I think it was four or five persons in the tractor.”

One ambulance arrived on the scene shortly after, and started work to stabilize the man on the ground who seemed the most critical. He was conscious, but having trouble breathing. He was bleeding from the nose and ears and from a huge gash on the head. A second ambulance from Orange Walk appeared on the scene, and departed with the critically injured man. Medical personnel then turned their attention to the man with the badly broken leg, and he and the third man were taken for treatment.

Police arrived on the scene shortly after and the road was cleared. The impact had been massive, and it is a miracle that anybody survived. The driver of the mangled SUV, Sembo Wu, who told us he purchased the Audi just a month ago, knows just how close he came to death.

Sembo Wu

“I feel lucky I noh get hurt. Lucky to be alive. Thank God.”

As we said, the allegation is that the tractor was travelling without lights. When we got to the scene indeed there were no lights showing, just this small flashlight blinking on the ground. We assume that was somehow attached to the logs to warn traffic coming from the rear. Obviously, it was not enough. Mike Rudon for News Five.

There was another accident, which ended tragically. It happened at about six-thirty this morning, when thirty-three year-old Javier Linarez of Independence, Stann Creek was travelling from Bella Vista heading to Punta Gorda.  Upon reaching the area of San Isidro, Linarez accidentally hit seven year old Cesar Martin Pom who was crossing the highway. Pom died instantly and his body was transported to the Southern Regional Hospital. Linarez has been detained pending charges.