2 Motorists Perish in Road Traffic Accident on Placencia Road

Edwin Rene Montoya

Since the beginning of the week, three persons have lost their lives in separate traffic accidents in southern Belize. On Tuesday morning, sixty-nine-year-old Selvin Bahadur was knocked off his bicycle on San Antonio Road in Punta Gorda by a pickup truck, driven at the time by Corporal Alexander Salam, who is attached to the Belmopan Police Formation. Bahadur was rushed to the PG Polyclinic, but died while receiving treatment; Corporal Salam was served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution and a urine sample was taken from him as it is alleged that he was under the influence. This morning, Maurice Palmer and Alex Duncan lost their lives in a freak accident on the Placencia Road. The two men were traveling on separate motorcycles when they collided into the rear of an unattended truck that was parked on the road after experiencing mechanical problems. Here’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Chester Williams:

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations)

“Upon arrival, they saw a dump truck type vehicle parked on the road side and they also saw two separate motorcycles and two individuals; one of the individuals appeared to have been motionless. They were both taken to the Southern Regional Hospital where on arrival both were pronounced dead. From investigation, we have learnt that the truck may have experienced some mechanical problem and a tire issue causing the driver of the vehicle to have left the vehicle on the side of the highway parked without leaving any indication to motorists that the vehicle was there. The two cyclists were riding their motorcycles when they ran up into the rear of the said vehicle resulting in their injury and subsequent death.  On Tuesday of this week, police in Punta Gorda responded to a traffic accident on the Southern Highway near Punta Gorda Town where they saw Selvin Bahadur suffering from injuries. He was taken to the Punta Gorda Polyclinic where he died while undergoing treatment. Investigations reveal that Corporal Salam was driving a police vehicle in Punta Gorda when he knocked down Mister Bahadur causing fatal injuries. We have since obtained blood and urine samples from Mister Salam which has been sent to the lab as is the case with every traffic accident. We have no indication that he was drinking or under the influence, but those are the practice that we normally do with traffic accidents. The matter is currently under investigation.”

Thirty-five-year-old Edwin Rene Montoya, a Belizean truck driver of Santa Cruz Village was today charged with two counts of Causing Death by Careless Conduct.