Many Road Traffic Accidents Reported Over Holiday Weekend

There were at least seven traffic accidents in the Belize and Cayo districts over the weekend, but none were fatal. The wave of RTAs started on Friday near the Burrell Boom junction. A Dodge Ram pickup crashed into the left hand side of a Toyota Four-Runner pickup. According to retired mechanic, sixty-four-year-old Kenneth Wright, the brake on his Dodge Ram pickup failed and caused him to hit the Four-Runner driven at the time by fifty-four-year-old American national, Carlos Arango Victor. Hours later, there was another accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Thirty-seven-year-old Belizean pastor Angelo Dominguez ran his 2007 Toyota Hilux off the highway between miles seven and eight to avoid hitting an SUV, driven by American soldier Krlo Barbery and that reportedly drove into his lane. The Hilux flipped several times before coming to a stop on the right hand side of the road. Traveling with Dominquez at the time were his wife and three minors who all received varying degrees of injuries. Credit supervisor, Tanya Thompson also suffered injuries to her chest and wrist after David Zuniga allegedly drove his 1983 Mercedes car into the left hand side her 2009 Chevrolet car between miles seven and eight on the Phillip Goldson Highway. There were also two other accidents on Monday. Just before three a.m., between miles nine and ten on the Phillip Goldson Highway, a Toyota Scion driven by sixty year old Armand Howard collided into with a motorcycle, in front of the Shell Gas Station in Ladyville. On the motorcycle were driver Henry Elijio and passenger Sandra Murillo. Both Howard and Elijio were served with notice of intended prosecution. Five hours later, another accident would occur at the same spot. A motorcycle driven by police officer Lloyd Casimiro crashed into the rear of a dodge Dakota pickup. Fidencio Coc was reportedly made a sudden left turn near mile eight and a half on the highway; but Casimiro could not stop and collided into the pickup. There was also an accident in the west near Caves Branch on the Hummingbird Highway. The driver of a Wingle pickup lost control after reportedly experiencing a blowout of his left front tire. He lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and into a ditch near the resort before coming to a stop on its side.  The driver was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital by Cave Branch manager Larry Vanegas. News Five was arrived on scene shortly after the accident and spoke with Max Pop on what happened.

Max Pop

Max Pop, Employee, Caves Branch  

“We got a call from our boss saying that we had an accident like twenty-minutes ago and we decided to come out. We had some guys that were heading to do their tours for the day, but they returned back and got our stretcher and assist the guy and then took him to the hospital.”

Duane Moody

“What you understand happened?”

Max Pop

“Well it seems like the left hand side tire burst because about like maybe a hundred yards from here, you can see where the vehicle start to swerve and you can see it was not running freely and lifting a lot of dust.”

Duane Moody

“And it ran off the road on the right hand side before it came over here?”

Max Pop

“Yeah that’s exactly what happened.”

Duane Moody

“You were here when they took the guy out. How was he?”

Max Pop

“Well according to my coworkers; I wasn’t here when they took him out—I came after with another vehicle to see if we can assist, but he already left—but my coworker says that he was in bad hurt on the inside because he was…you know. Yeah.”

Duane Moody

“He is Belizean?”

Max Pop

“I wouldn’t say because I am not sure, but probably yes.”

Duane Moody

“We understand that this has been the fourth accident to have happened in this month alone.”

Max Pop

“Yes sir; that’s right because we had one in front of Saint Herman’s—I think the pieces of vehicle are still there. And then we had one like two hundred feet from here and then we had one just over the blue hole.”