Fatal traffic accident on George Price Highway

Patrick Escalante

Though two persons were murdered over the weekend, a third individual lost his life on the outskirts of Belize City. It is not known if alcohol was involved in the incident but an SUV crashed into the rear of a bus resulting in one fatality. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A fatal road traffic accident, involving a sports utility vehicle and a westbound commuter bus, has the family of twenty-three year-old Patrick Escalante refuting accounts given by Belize City police.  Shortly before six o’clock on Saturday morning, Escalante was driving this Nissan Pathfinder along the George Price Highway, near Bravo Motors, when he suddenly rear-ended a West Line bus en route to Benque Viejo.  The deadly collision occurred within eyeshot of his family home.

Voice of: Eyewitness

“I saw the national bus, a green and white bus, coming from the western, the checkpoint-side, coming this side so I had a flashlight and I was stopping the bus for someone out here.  By the time the bus put on the indicator from, I would say, I noh know how much yards that but wah good ways down the road ih put on ih indicator fu come off ah di side ah di road.  So I come een and I stand up mih di wait pan whoever mih di out deh jump pan di bus.”

A few seconds later, the bystander heard a violent crash as the oncoming SUV made impact with the tail end of the stationary bus, which was driven at the time by forty-five year old Godfrey Dougal.

Raphael Martinez

Raphael Martinez, Police Press Officer

“Police visited the scene on the George Price Highway between miles four and five and upon arrival; they saw a Green and White International Bus with license plates SI-D-00235 on the extreme right side of the highway. It was parked facing Belmopan. The bus received extensive damages to the entire rear portion and also seen was a Grey Nissan Pathfinder SUV, with license plate BZ-C-32315, and this was directly behind the bus facing in the same direction. It had extensive damage to the front portion of it. On the scene, police saw a person who appears to be of Hispanic descent lying face up on the extreme right shoulder of the highway.”

Escalante had been gravely injured upon contact.

Voice of: Eyewitness

“The Silver Pathfinder, coming from da side deh, I noh know if di person mussi fell asleep or something but di person mussi either fell asleep and mi di drive or something like that cause all of a sudden I sih di Pathfinder start come fast, fast, fast.  With da speed deh so I wonder weh [ih mi di do].  I woulda seh, to me either ih mash di aux and drop asleep because when ih hit the center a di bus, I noh even know weh happen afta dat.  I soh frightened ya soh weh I deh, I di stand up and di watch it like…I can’t believe ih happen so quick and fast.”

Raphael Martinez

“Initial investigations revealed that the bus was being driven by Godfrey Bowen Dougal, forty-five years old, at the time. He was heading to Belmopan and upon reaching in front of Bravo Motors, he pulled to the right side of the road when the SUV, driven by twenty-three year old Patrick Escalante of mile four and a half on the George Price Highway which was behind heading in the same direction collided into the rear of the bus. It is also reported that Passengers from that bus took out Escalante from his SUV and laid him on the ground. He was subsequently transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 7:14 a.m.”

The circumstance surrounding the accident is very much the subject of contention, as Patrick’s family asserts that the West Line bus may have come to an abrupt halt to board its passenger.  The fact that the SUV slammed squarely into the rear of the bus, to the Escalantes, suggests that Dougal did not pull off the highway.

Isani Cayetano

“Did anyone either from within the bus or anyone who may have seen this particular accident render any assistance to this person prior to being transported off the scene?”

Voice of: Eyewitness

“Yes.  So much, so many people.  I woulda seh, I think wah nurse and wah policeman mi deh pan di bus to.  Luckily dehn mi come off a di bus and try render assistance but dehn mi di pump di man but when di BERT truck come dehn explain and tell everybody dress back mek dehn deal wid whatsoever and by the time dehn staat pump di man, dehn she di man gone.”

Urine samples have since been obtained from Godfrey Dougal, as well as a caution statement.  He has also been served a notice of intended prosecution. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.