Rasheed Pollard Perishes in RTA After Celebrating His 27th Birthday

Rasheed Pollard

There has been outpouring of grief following the untimely death of Rasheed Pollard. Pollard, who by all accounts was loved by many, perished this morning after celebrating his twenty-seventh birthday. He was driving to Belize City after partying in Ladyville when he collided into the concrete base of a light post near Mile Three on the Philip Godson Highway. The collision proved fatal for the B.T.L. employee who died on the spot; his family woke up to the horrible news that life had been cut short for one of their own. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following report.

Bernadine Lewis, Aunt of Deceased

“Rasheed was the most loving, fun person.  Rasheed would walk into a room and light up that room and make everybody smile.  He knows how to bring people together, he knows how to make them smile.  Rasheed is a very outgoing person, a people’s person.”

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Dead just a few hours after celebrating his twenty-seventh birthday.  The tragic demise of Rasheed Pollard, an only child, happened here on this stretch of road near mile four and a half on the Philip Goldson Highway.  The father of two was returning home after a night of socializing, but never made it beyond this lamppost.

Bernadine Lewis

Bernadine Lewis

“I got a call this morning about 3:30 or a quarter to four when my daughter called me crying and said, “Mom, come.”  And I got up and when I got outside she said, “Rasheed dead.”  And I said, “No, it can’t be true not my darling.”

Somehow the vehicle that Pollard was driving veered into the outbound lane and collided violently into the concrete base of the streetlight.  The BTL employee, who had only just been recognized by the company a week ago for outstanding service, perished at the scene of the accident.

Bernadine Lewis

“We went to the hospital and I waited there and they still had him on the road because it happened about mile three or four on the Northern Highway and they brought him in, we saw him and it wasn’t a dream.  He was gone.  The last thing he said to me last week was, “Darling, bruk me out because yoh noh wahn sih mi fi mi birthday or talk to me.”  And I said, “Noh man, we wahn sih each other and we wahn get wahn drink.  But I never got to see him, not even to say happy birthday.  I did my post yesterday evening and said happy birthday to him and have a blast and enjoy your earth day and he did.  He passed away right after his birthday.”

Sadly, the unfortunate end involves drunk driving and speeding.  The Philip Goldson Highway between Belize City and Ladyville has claimed multiple lives over the past few months.  The incident harkens back to the morning of June seventh, when two young men were also returning to Belize City after socializing at an establishment on the road.  They too collided into a lamppost erected on the median, the passenger lost his life in that accident.  The newly resurfaced thoroughfare is lined with towering aluminium streetlights that somehow motorists cannot seem to avoid.

Bernadine Lewis

“We can’t say what led to this but God knows best and he was ready for him.  It was Rasheed’s time, we can’t cheat destiny and we just have to pick up the pieces and move on.  It’s just been five months today since my little brother passed away and now Rasheed.  We just have to get and try to put our pieces back together. I know that my kids use to say, “Mom, summer is not for us” because we had so many losses at the beginning of summer and now the ending of summer Rasheed went.  I could say he’s in a happy place and Rasheed died peacefully and happy.”

Isani Cayetano reporting for News Five.