Ambulance crashes with pregnant woman; driver and nurse dead
The Kendal crossing has been in the news for years now since the bridge was washed away by Tropical Storm Arthur in 2008. A bailey bridge was donated by the U.S. Government, but it was not the right fit and the Sittee River remained without a proper bridge in a heavily trafficked area that connects to South Stann Creek. This past weekend, an ambulance heading to Dangriga plunged into the river. It was carrying a woman, about to deliver her child. She survived but the driver and a nurse did not. News Five’s Delahnie Bain has the tragic story.
Delahnie Bain
Delahnie Bain
“An ambulance careened off the temporary bridge at the Kendal River after eight o’clock on Saturday night. It was transporting a pregnant woman form Punta Gorda to the southern Regional Hospital. Today, the totaled vehicle and most of the debris has been cleared away, but the accident will not soon be forgotten because it claimed the lives of the driver and a nurse.”
Sergeant Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
“Ernesto Caliz, driver of an ambulance, was driving on the Southern Highway from the direction of Maya Center Village towards Dangriga town. Upon reaching Kendal Bridge, he apparently lost control of the ambulance that overturned and ended up in the river.”
Fitzroy Yearwood
Delahnie Bain, Reporting
Of the three persons in the vehicle, the patient thirty-two year old Magdalena Choco was the only person that made it out alive.
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“Mister Caliz received severe head and body injuries and died on the spot. A nurse that was in the ambulance, her name is Madonna Anyanwu; she also received head and body injuries and later succumb to those injuries. The patient they were transporting, she complained of head and chest pains. She was transported to the Southern Regional Hospital and apparently she is stable.”
Meanwhile, police are trying to ascertain what caused Caliz to lose control of the vehicle. One driver, Clarence Kelly, who frequents the area, suspects that the dip at the beginning of the bridge, might have been a factor.
Clarence Kelly, Driver 
“I believe that the cause of the accident dah, dah approach right deh so.”
Delahnie Bain
“What about the approach?”
Clarence Kelly
“Well the vehicle come to fast off ah dah hill deh and when ih drop een deh, ih lose control and ih flip ova.”
Delahnie Bain
“And you mentioned that you travel this road often.”
Clarence Kelly
“Yeah, everyday. You have to ease dah di whole deh and di speed ah weh he mi di come wid and di approach, dat dah weh cause it fi flip ova.”
Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood
“We have our personnel from traffic and we will have a motor vehicle inspector to check the motor vehicle to see if maybe it was mechanical. But we’re not going to speculate, we’ll wait for the reports and as soon as we get those reports, I will be able to brief you.”
Choco, who remains at the Southern Regional Hospital, delivered her baby this morning and, therefore, was in no condition to speak to us. Delahnie Bain for News Five.
According to reports from the south, Ernesto Caliz was previously arrested for speeding in an unoccupied ambulance and as a result a formal complaint was lodged against him.
This is such a sad story and almost too scary for me personally since I often travel the road day and night, transporting patients to Hospitals with resources we should long have had right here in our own District Hospitals. Only Miss Choco lived to tell the story and perhaps one day when she’s ready, she can tell us if speeding played a role in this tragedy.
As usual in an attempt to desensitize the Public, the Police authorities quickly leaked to the media that the ambulance driver was previously charged for a speeding violation. However, no one in authority addressed the death trap Highways and the ‘Kendall tomb’ which has already claimed 5 lives since “Arthur”.
Now that people have died maybe the government will put a proper bridge in that location.
I hope these souls haunt Mr Boots Martinez,Melvin Hulse and Dean Barrow. they have willfully delayed the construction of this bridge to coincide with the upcoming elections. How can they sleep at night.
most of the ambulance drivers in belize are not experienced drivers., this sounds like over speeding. he should have been more careful crossing the bridge.
Im not who build ridges or houses but just look at the bridge , what ? we expect the bridge have no kind of railing maybe, maybe that would have help sustain the fall. We expect to bleam the drivers but if you are having a woman who is aboutto have a baby what u expect to drive like a mule and cart .. come on mi gente hay que pensar antes de hablar .
My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family of those who perished in this accident. To “It is a shame”, Boots “Idiot” Martinez (No relation, thank God), Melvin “Flippin” Hulse, and Jack-ss Baracuda don’t give a damn about the Belizean Citizens and can sleep like a baby. We also have to understand that, our safety and the safety of others depends on us, knowing all conditions. Lymie Hulse, noh kay weh you do, you da wah Grigalizean and we give you wah next chance. Neva forget di Bridge weh cross you even if da Kendal Bridge. All good things must come to an end my friend. If wi put three a unu eena wah Barrel, a wanda which one wah come out first?. If these idiots won’t replace one of our main Bridge in Dangriga Town, why should they do anything about Kendal when they themselves don’t have to drive through there. Let me play it out for you guys the way I see it, “Hello dumb dumbs, The Prime Minister and his Disciples are having a fly over of the Southern Districts to assess any/all damages since 1961”. Read between the lines and you finish the rest. My Belizean and Foreign Drivers, please be safe? Your family need’s you. Please consider roads and weather conditions. Maintain a safe speed and look out for the other driver. Take care and God Bless.
ANOTHER MEDIA SENSATION THAT WILL BE FORGOTTEN BY THIS WEEKEND. SUCH A PITY IT WASN’T A BUSLOAD OF GOVERNMENT MINISTERS THAT DROVE OFF THE BRIDGE AND DIED!!!!!! SYMPATHIES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE DECEASED!!! SUE SOMEBODY!!!
I am from pg and I travell this road frequently, as a matter of fact I passed that same bridge friday night..there is no light in that area, the little bridge have no railing, only one vevhile can pass at a time, the refelectors are barely visible…How long has this bridge been washed away…this year will make it 3 yrs…what type of stupid @$$ government and prime minister do we have that put off a highly important issue like that for years..GOB you are making millions with exports…and with income tax and other taxes”unu d tare up pan d poor people head” now it seems to me that it is important for GOB to get the latest prado’s and suv type vechiles for themselves, when they could have fixed the darn bridge long ago…how many lives does the bridge issue have to claim..if it were any relative to me I would sue your sorry @$$#$….and I hope the relatives of the dead do so too….and for the stupid puppets police that quickly blame speeding to cover up the negligence of GOB…you should shut up an try to make Belize a better place…I am angry and dissapointed to see what is happening to our country and I sympathize with the families that lost thier loved ones…….RIP
My deepest sympathy goes out to the families that lost thier loved ones. Sista Rose my prayers are with you and the Caliz family. Be strong and keep the faith. GOB do right by we the Belizean People. Fix that death trap. How many more people have to loose thier life?
Guys, just look at that bridge, u only have to sneeze too hard to topple over. Sorry GOB, but thiese deaths of
please ignore previous comment:
Guys just look at that bridge and you will see that you only have to sneeze hard to topple over. Sorry GOB but the deaths of these two POORLY PAID PUBLIC SERVANTS are on you! You guys care more about your fancy rides, and petty quarrels, that you do about the people you enslaved as public officers
Hey not only they POORLY PAID PUBLIC SERVANTS but not even have insurance!!ANd then if people go to fast the why them no have traffic man there to monitor it!!!!And yes now we have two more deaths there!!!!!This is tooo much and something must be done NOW!!!
I LIVE IN THE STATES BUT I LIKE GOING SOUTH TO FISH IN THE CAYES THAT BRIDGE HAS BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE AND EVEN ME WHO DON’T LIVE THERE KNOW TO SLOW DOWN BCUZ THE BRIDGE IS UNSTABLE AND WHY HASN’T IT BEEN FIXED? I’M NOT BLAMING THE DRIVER BUT GOB I READ OFTEN ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY MAKE OFF THE OIL IN SPANISH LOOK OUT AND THE OIL IS BEING TRANSPORTED OVER THAT BRIDGE EVERYDAY TO GET TO BLUE CREEK THEN IT SHOWS THAT THE BRIDGE IS ESSENTIAL FOR THOSE MILLIONS TO BE MADE WITHOUT THAT BRIDGE U CAN’T EXPOET THAT OIL …….BARROW MY MOTHA IS A UDP FROM IM A KID BUT I NEVER LIKE UDP’S OR PUP’S SO DON’T THINK ITS SOME DIGRUNTLE PUP WRITING THIS ….JUST FIX THE DAMN BRIDGE
wat a shame the government of belizes are all big mouth jackass especailly when it comes to the prime minister i wish it was al of dem that went down i want them get ina wa accident because everyhere we got bad road conditions time the get closer for all of them sour grapes to walk off thier own bride……………….
I’m still waiting for a public statement from the Nurses Association of Belize about the unfortunate, death of this ALREADY FORGOTTEN underpaid Public servant, who risked her life to save that of her patient’s.
NAB, PLEASE DON’T LET NURSE MADONA’S LIFE GO IN VAIN. She may have not been a Belizean but she risked her life for two of our own (mother and child), knowing very well that our Highways’ a death trap especially at night, and that there’s no safe seat in our Ambulances for the nurses accompanying these patients.
You’d be surprise to know that some of these transfers can easily be delayed and perhaps avoided, with the availability of SIMPLE BASIC RESOURCES and GOOD MANAGEMENT of our Districts Hospitals! NAB I AM WAITING!
This was really an unfortunate accident, but I beg the question,
WHAT WAS THE NURSE DOING IN FRONT WITH THE DRIVER? NURSES ASSOCIATION PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS, BECAUSE AS FAR AS I AM CONCERN WHEN EVER AN A PATIENT IS BEING TRANSFER A NURSE MUST BE BESIDE THE PATIENT, THIS WOMAN WAS PREGNANT, WHY WAS SHE ALONE IN THE BACK OF THE AMBULANCE?????
MAYBE IF THE NURSE WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED PROTOCOLS SHE WOULD HAVE STILL BEING ALIVE!!!!!
MINISTER OF HEALTH SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND i HOPE IN THE FUTURE NURSES PLEASE RIDE WITH YOUR PATIENT!!!