Vehicle flips and five persons caught in northern highway accident
Five persons, ranging from age two to sixty-eight were involved in a traffic accident on Sunday night. According to police, Antonio Calderon was driving from Corozal to Orange Walk Town accompanied by his mother, sixty-eight year old Felicita Calderon, twenty-one year old Yesenia Calderon, twenty-five year old Abel Chan and two year old Elson Chan. But when he reached a roundabout between miles fifty-six and fifty-seven on the Northern Highway, Antonio lost control of the Ford Ranger Pickup, which is said to flipped several times. All five persons had to be rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital where Felicita, who was in the front passenger seat, passed away due to head and body injuries. Yesenia, Abel and Elson were flung from the pan of the truck and received varying degrees of injuries. Only Abel has since been released from the hospital while Antonio has been transferred to Belize City. CTV3, based in Orange Walk, provided us with footage of the scene and an interview with a witness, who says he found the passengers scattered on the road.
Orange Walk Resident, Witnessed Accident
“I understand the speed because I live right here and the speed and after the speed I hear the brakes, and after the brakes I hear them turning over and over—maybe like three times they went over.”
Reporter, CTV 3
“And den after dat weh you si with di vehicle?”
Orange Walk Resident
“With the vehicle, it was lying down and wah woman was coming out but like ih stuck between the earth and the window. So my son and someone else raise dat up and so she was freed from underneath the pickup. The pickup, the way how you see it, it was lying down on her maybe.”
Reporter, CTV 3
“How much people you si eena di vehicle?”
Orange Walk Resident
“Only the woman was in the vehicle, the rest of them scatter bout di place. One here, one there, one there, one there, one there and one over this side with the vehicle; the woman outside the vehicle.”
Reporter, CTV 3
“You have any idea who called the police?’
Orange Walk Resident
“What happened, I asked my girl to call the police but she was thinking that this department here would do it more quicker and someone else was out here who called the police.”
According to the witness, in the years he has lived on the highway, there have been numerous accidents at the same location.
People continue to drive carelessly on those roads in Belize, while passengers continue to risk their lives by riding in the back of pick-up trucks or without seat belts on the high ways, this is just asking for trouble. History has it that many accidents occurred around that same point, why don’t people drive less fast there, ask the GOB to place a speed bump there , since they are not willing to build better roads or put lights along those high ways.
how many people have to die before they put up a sign telling people to slow down because that turnabout dangerous. well.
Arm traffic police with Radar guns, and control traffic by writing tickets to offenders. ENFORCE speeding LAWS. Repeat offenders get HIGHER tickets. Or their license confiscated. Driving is a PRIVILEGE, NOT a RIGHT, so act accordingly.
ABSOLUTELY NO MORE BUMPS. Traffic can be controlled without the HATED bumps, Plus the GOB can get some money in, instead of SPENDING money for a $10,000.00 speed bump. And give a few people a LONGTERM job. NOT SHORT TERM jobs.
Every time I must cross a bump I insult the mother of the mayor for placing it there.
Yes we do insult her, we all hate bumps and the mothers of the persons responsible of placing the bumps on our paths.
Bumps is not the solution , stop selling driving permits is the real solution.
Don’t anyone in GOB do any kind of research? In the USA a lot of States are plugging their budget from traffic tickets. Am not saying that will happen in Belize, however, as some indicated above, actually mobilizing a highway patrol unit to ticket speeders and ticket their !@#$$# will bring money in for the GOB and am certain it will lower the fatality rate on the highways, which is basically a free for all right now.
Sad! I was just in Belize a few months ago and I’m stunned at the poor conditions of the roads i.e., lighting, very little to no visual reflectors, speed limit signs, no paint markings on the roads, and very poor traffic management and enforcement of seat belts. At night some parts of N highway pitch black that you cannot even see your hand infront of your face and they seem so surprise when there is a continuation of traffic accidents often, tragic!?!?!