Seven year old killed in traffic accident

Sharife Smith was not the only youth to lose his life over the past twenty-four hours. A child was also tragically killed in an accident that occurred this afternoon. Seven year old Elias Suarez attended the Ladyville Seventh Day Adventist School, located at the corner of Hecker and Perez Roads. Classes ended at twelve and Suarez rode on his bicycle onto Hecker Road where he was knocked down by a truck being driven by Johan Niekony a Mennonite from the Cayo Area. He was killed instantly. The police investigation is ongoing and residents as well as family members are concerned that accidents in the area are becoming a regular occurrence.

Sgt. Solomon Marin, Ladyville Police
“At about twelve- twenty-five p.m., based on a report of a traffic accident on Perez Road, police visit the scene where they saw the lifeless body of a young Hispanic male person about seven years. His bicycle was nearby and a truck hit him. Investigations into the matter was about twelve- twenty p.m. one, Johan Niekony was driving his truck on Perez road from the direction of Mirage Woodinto the Bella Vista Area, that is a west to easterly direction and the young man, Elias Suarez, was riding a black Nankon bicycle in the same direction as the truck and apparently he got knocked down.”

Cheryl Henry, Lives Near Accident Scene
“I just came in from school and I came to open up the van and the same time I heard a bunch of children screaming and when I look up I saw the little boy on the ground.”

Jose Sanchez
“And that’s when your neighbor went over?”

Cheryl Henry
“Yes, he went over and he went and saw him and then he came back and told me that how the little boy was dead already.”

Jose Sanchez
“And he put a sheet and cover him up?”

Cheryl Henry
“No, nobody didn’t faas with the body.”

Jose Sanchez
“Now, I understand that—is this first time an accident has occurred on the street concerning kids?”

Cheryl Henry
“No, I think two accidents so far happened already in less than two years in on street with same school children.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you think maybe they need speed bumps on the street?”

Cheryl Henry
“Well, I don’t know if that will work because we have two speed bumps already and the vehicle still—some of them just speed across the bumps, so it doesn’t really work.”

Jose Sanchez
“What needs to be done? What can be done to help the situation?”

Cheryl Henry
“I believe they need to have—maybe the police could come since this is the only school, on this street and then when the highway is closed off they re-direct the traffic to this back street. So I think if the police would come out, maybe two of them, you know just to be along or to patrol while the school is over that would be better.”

Hubert Frazer, friend of Suarez family
“My deepest concern is the fact that we have speed bumps there but people when they see kids, especial on bicycles or walking on the street, as a certified driver should always use your initiative and think because the fact if you as a if you see a ball coming out on the road, there’s a child behind it. It’s the same way when a child is on a bicycle, that child can be gazing and go into your lane, if you are going to the proper speed which would be almost next to zero until you past the children, you should safe guard the children first, safety first. So, what I get from this is that the child tried to cross the street and in that process, the guy just knocked him down and ran over him with the front wheel first and then with the rare wheel. I don’t know if it’s the left or right side, but doing that you should always stop, as a driver stop. Think, that’s a life. It’s not the first one.”

Jose Sanchez
“How is his the family coping?”

Hubert Frazer
“Bwai, coping is not the word, my brother. The mom right now is devastated because of the fact that it’s her baby, seven year old Eli.”

The postmortem for Elias Suarez is scheduled for tomorrow.