Three die in separate weekend accidents

The nation’s highways proved deadly this weekend after a series of traffic accidents claimed no less than three lives. According to police reports, around 3:45 on Friday afternoon, thirty-one year old Clifford Butler was driving on Amara Avenue when he knocked down a man riding a bicycle at the junction at Dean Street. Butler has since told police the man did not stop at the intersection. The cyclist has been identified as forty-one year old Carlos Estevan Reyes of Ladyville. Reyes, who sustained serious head and body injuries, was rushed to the K.H.M.H., but died two days later. Up to newstime tonight no charges have been filed against Clifford Butler.

Meanwhile, late Friday night a Belize City businessman also lost his life in a traffic accident. Reports are that sometime before 11:30 that night, twenty-four year old Hsiao Chen Huang, also known as Terry lost control of his minivan between miles four and five on the Northern Highway, collided with a lamppost and overturned. It is then believed the injured man stumbled onto the highway and collapsed in the path of traffic. Just before midnight, Hisao was run over by an Isuzu Trooper driven by thirty-six year old Adrian Manning. Because authorities have yet to ascertain which accident killed Hsiao, no charges have been levied against Manning.

Later in the weekend, another man was also run over as he lay on the highway. According to thirty-one year old Klass Loewen, just before midnight on Sunday he was driving across the Cave’s Branch Bridge on the Hummingbird Highway when he felt an object beneath his tyres. Loewen says he stopped the truck and found that he had actually ran over a male person lying across the road. He rushed the victim to the Belmopan Hospital, but the man was pronounced dead on arrival. The deceased has been identified as forty-one year old Rafael Aguilar. Police have since detained Loewen pending further investigations.