2 fatal accidents over the weekend

Imer Hernandez

There are two fatal traffic accidents to report tonight. The first fatality occurred on Friday night in Esperanza Village, Cayo District.  Thirty-five year old William Lopez was riding his bicycle through the village when he was hit by a vehicle driven by very well known contractor Imer Hernandez of Benque Viejo del Carmen. Lopez was taken to the Loma Luz hospital but succumbed to the injuries sustained. A notice of intended prosecution was issued to Hernandez, who is the nephew of Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. Today, San Ignacio Police confirmed that they have taken statements from witnesses and will be forwarding them to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice. The post-mortem examination is scheduled for Tuesday in Belize City. The second fatality was a hit and run which occurred between miles twenty-six and twenty-seven on the Southern Highway. Marcial Salam of San Roman Village was found lying motionless on the side of the road with a cut wound on the head and his face disfigured. Salam left his home on Friday heading to an area near the George Town High School but did not return home. A passerby subsequently found the body on Sunday and alerted the police. According to a report to our newsroom, the vehicle that hit Salam has been located in Punta Gorda; the abandoned vehicle was stripped of its tires and damaged.