Married Couple Perishes in Traffic Accident

Abram & Irene Penner

As many as six persons died in traffic accidents, making the past weekend one of the deadliest on the highways. The deaths were reported in southern, central and western Belize.  Tonight, we start with a crash in Spanish Lookout where a Mennonite couple perished, leaving seven children behind.  Husband and wife, Abram and Irene Penner, were killed near their home in the Spanish Lookout community. An elderly relative driving a van crashed into the couple that was travelling by motorcycle. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

Fifty-one-year-old Abram Penner and his forty-eight-year-old wife Irene were on a motorcycle on Route Forty in Spanish Lookout when they were rammed from the rear.

Jaymian Barkman, Nephew of Deceased

“It was Abram and Irene going to help out a lady with a kitchen. He had been doing a project. So they were going on a cruise together. They had just left the house.”

The incident occurred a short distance away from the Penners’ residence. The vehicle which rammed into the motorcycle is a van. In the driver’s seat was eighty-five year old Gerhard Penner.

Jaymian Barkman

Jaymian Barkman

“The sun was in their eyes. So it was the sun that was really blocking also the guy who was coming from behind. It was really obstructing his view. What he had initially thought was that the motorbike came from the front. But actually, it was right in front of him. So the van had just hut right to the back of the bike. So the bike got stuck in front of the van just like the pictures show. What they think is that they both flew against the windshield and then over the van. That is how they passed away.”

The husband and wife died almost simultaneously, instantly and on the scene. Being an eighty-five-year-old man, Gerhard’s vision and response time are now being brought into question.

Joseph Myvett

ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch

“Police in that point in time did detain Mr. Gerhard Penner where samples were taken from him and he was served with a notice of intended prosecution, pending the post mortem results later on if not today, tomorrow.”

Reporter

“Is there any provisions in the law that above a certain age you have to pass regular eye tests?”

ACP Joseph Myvett

“Well, that is the procedure but as you know the police would have nothing to do with the issuing of licenses. That definitely is a concern to us at this point in time. Also, the driver of the van seem to be, not a special needs persons, but he is of age, up in age I should say.”

According to the couple’s nephew Jaymian Barkman, the couple was rarely spotted using the motorcycle. In fact, about a week ago they spoke of getting rid of it.

Jaymian Barkman

“It is not often that they do. I guess they were just going for an evening ride. It wasn’t very often. They did it a couple of times but I believe it’s very rare that they did it together.”

Hipolito Novelo

“We heard that there was some sort of discussion about a week ago to get rid of the motorcycle.”

Jaymian Barkman

“Yes, I think that it had been a bike that they had for a while and they wanted to sell but it was there, they used it and take a ride in it.”

The Penners who recently celebrated their twenty-ninth anniversary leave behind seven children. Hipolito Novelo, News Five.