The Family of Yolanda Valencia Wins Civil Suit Against Deputy ComPol Segura

Yolanda Valencia was killed in August 2014 when an intoxicated deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura, in a government vehicle, collided into a taxi just outside San Jose Succotz, Cayo. The chilling video of Segura at the scene of the accident went viral and prompting public outrage. The market vendor died instantly, and in August 2015 her family brought a civil claim against him and the government, seeking damages. Well there is some closure for the family because tonight, because the Supreme Court has issued an order for the payment of seventy thousand dollars to the family. The judgment was handed down in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Attorney for the Valencia family, Kareem Musa, explains the case.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Attorney for Claimants

“The family took them to court for the wrongful death of Ms. Yolanda Valencia which took place the sixteenth of August, 2014. As you may recall and certainly the images are etched in the minds of the family and viewers who saw the video footage of Mr. Segura after the accident. It’s something that has certainly caused a lot of trauma on the family and it’s something that they won’t easily get over. The trial came up yesterday before the honorable Justice Shona Griffith. We have been in talks with the government, with the Crown Counsels representing the government for quite some time now, several rounds of negotiations, because in my opinion it wasn’t really an issue to determine liability. When you look at the evidence before the Court, we had the witness Mr. Yanie Cu who was the driver for Ms. Yolanda Valencia, and he actually gave a detailed account that Mr. Segura was actually on his side of the road, and he had to veer off to avoid the collision but could not. So in terms of liability and fault, I think that would have been easily determined at the trial, but what we had to do was come up with an assessment of the damages that the family would be entitled to. So we’ve been in several rounds of negotiations with the government, and we finally came up with a sum that the family is satisfied with and that is seventy thousand dollars in damages for the death of Ms. Yolanda Valencia.”

Mike Rudon

“Will those damages be shared by Miguel Segura and the government of Belize?”

Miguel Segura

Kareem Musa

“My understanding is that the government of Belize will be footing that bill. That’s my understanding and I stand to be corrected.”

Mike Rudon

“So are far as the civil matter is concerned that is done.”

Kareem Musa

“That is over. I believe the criminal case is still ongoing. The Crown Counsel in this case had disclosed the criminal file to us, and there seems to be a lot of information there. So I am hoping to see and certainly the family is hoping to see that that criminal trial goes to its end as well.”

News Five managed to obtain a witness statement provided by Segura. In it he explains the test which determined that he was legally intoxicated, claiming that “the crowd had gotten larger and more aggressive and for safety reasons Police escorted me from the area. I was taken home where I remained for almost an hour before I was escorted to the Western Regional Hospital where I agreed to do a test of my blood to determine my ethanol concentration. While at home I took a couple shots of whiskey, as I was totally distraught and really affected by what had just happened.”