SUV with four women flips in highway accident

At news time three women are hospitalised at the K.H.M.H. following an accident at approximately eleven-thirty this morning between miles fifteen and sixteen in the area of Tropical Park on the Western highway. It involved two trucks, an eighteen wheeler and a ten wheeler, that were reportedly racing towards Belize City. The driver of an SUV with three passengers had seconds to make a decision and in avoiding being hit, the SUV flipped several times on the road. Our News Five team was first on the scene with the details.

Jose Sanchez
“There were four girls in the red Chevy Blazer at the time of the accident. When it flipped several times the driver was wearing this jeans jacket which has become completely shredded.”

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Zied Juan was sitting under a tree on his property in Tropical Park when he watched the accident unfold.

Zied Juan, Rescued Accident Victims
“I noticed this vehicle, this eighteen wheeler truck coming down heading towards Belize City. Then another one like a ten wheeler with a lot of lumber in it, trying overtake and he overtake the eighteen wheeler truck and I just watch it. Same time I heard a noise of a vehicle running off the road on the right hand side coming from Belize City. When I noticed, the vehicle swerved on the left hand side like trying to get control. They lose control and they were trying to regain control of the vehicle but eventually it flipped over about three times on the highway. So I run out and I tell the guy that was working with me to come to see if we could give some help or something to check it out. We were the first ones to be here on the scene and there were four girls in the truck and we took out one of the girls because she was badly injured and crying out for our help and I managed to take her out and little after help came from the police.”

People in the area who were waiting for traffic to flow assisted the police in turning over the SUV. After the evidence was gathered the police had a clear picture of what occurred.

Insp. Calbert Flowers, O.C., Ladyville Police Station
“A vehicle, a truck coming in the opposite direction tried to overtake and went into the lane of the oncoming traffic. The females apparently then lost control and the vehicle flipped.”

Zied Juan
“Couple of them were badly injured you know. One of them was unconscious, the other one got a cut in her head and I got some blood on my shirt when I took her out. The other two came out with the help of other guys.”

The four women: Tanisha Stevens, Sharima Romero, Jacqueline Audinett and Nicole Cadle were travelling to Hattieville to deliver groceries for a relative. After he heard news of the rollover, Wilburn Cadle, Nicole’s father, rushed to the hospital.

Jose Sanchez
“What have you heard about the condition of your daughter and the girls?”

Wilburn Cadle, Father of Nicole
“We just spoke to the doctor and the doctor told me that my daughter is okay. What happened is, he took her on a cat scan and what happened with the cat scan, she has a swelling and she has a little blood clot or something bleeding under a membrane. They are taking her for a couple of hours and keeping her in the hospital but they have to keep her in there three, four days. I don’t know but they have to keep her under observation.”

Twenty-two year old Tanisha Stevens, the driver of the Chevy Blazer, gave us an off camera interview from her hospital bed at the K.H.M.H.

Tanisha Stevens, Driver of Crashed SUV
“I remember we were going towards Hattieville. Upon reaching the curve just before the Hattieville roundabout there were two dump trucks on both side of the roads. We were going to go into a head-on collision with the dump trucks but I swerved to the left of the street and went back on to the road and the vehicle lost control and started to flip.”

Jose Sanchez
“Do you remember anything else?”

Tanisha Stevens
“I just mi gone unconscious fi wah little while and then when I wake up I realize weh happen.”

Jose Sanchez
“There was a gentleman at the scene who assisted. He said it wasn’t your fault; you actually saved your friends. How do you feel?”

Tanisha Stevens
“I glad for that. I’m glad that nobody died or anything.”

Keith Swift, Channel Seven
“Have you thought about what would have happened if you hadn’t swerved to avoid running into the dump truck?”

Tanisha Stevens
“I don’t know if we would be alive right now.”

Inspector Calbert Flowers revealed that quick police work brought the arrest of twenty-eight year old Sheldon Gentle.

Insp. Calbert Flowers
“Well, the driver did not stop to render assistance; he fled down the road. He was apprehended down more towards Belize City at the Police checkpoint but he is in police custody at this time.”

Jose Sanchez
“The man who caused the accident actually fled the scene. And the police caught him. What would you want to say to that man right now?”

Tanisha Stevens
“Nothing. I just neva like the idea that he just went on. He could have stopped and given us assistance or something. I didn’t like what he did. Just the thought that he did not stop, is what bothers me the most.”

Wilburn Cadle
“Well mein, I hope they catch him but apparently they got him right. I don’t want to see him personally because I know I drive on the road and I see these dump truck drivers. And most of the time, the dump truck drivers—I’ll tell you now—they smoke marijuana right. I wah tell yoh I know dat fi sure because I si dehn when dehn buy it. dehn come round my area when dehn buy it so dehn high. And I just hope my daughter ok cause I no too happy, right.”

Two of the young women Sharima and Nicole are considered to be in serious but stable condition. Jacqueline has been released from the hospital. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.