Roaring Creek Resident Perishes in Fatal RTA
Arita Vanzie
Roaring Creek resident, Arita Vanzie, died in a fatal car crash on the Stann Creek Valley Road. The three other persons traveling in the vehicle received various injuries and lived to tell the tale. The group was travelling from Belmopan to Dangriga when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The car ran off the road and into a culvert. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Just after eight o’clock on Tuesday night, there was a fatal road traffic accident in Dangriga, which claimed the life of Arita Vanzie, a twenty-six-year-old pawnshop employee from Roaring Creek Village. Vanzie was one of four persons travelling in a Chevy Impala car when the driver, Customs Officer Deon Castillo, lost control of the vehicle and ran into a ditch, hitting a culvert. Vanzie died while receiving treatment at the Southern Regional Hospital.
Voice of: Harry Vanzie, Father of Deceased
“The first person that got the news was my son; he lives in Dangriga. Arita had left from home with some friends to go to Dangriga and so he received the news first that she was involved in an accident. We were not aware of the extent or the seriousness of the accident. He proceeded to the Southern Regional Hospital and from there for more information and immediately called. At that time I was at work in Placencia and he told me that Arita was in an accident and she might have had some internal injuries and needed some blood donation. Being a blood donor myself, I contacted my boss and made arrangement to take off to Dangriga to see what I could have done to assist her. I reached the hospital and then I received the shocking, really, really traumatic news that Arita had passed. I could not believe it, I just thought that maybe there was something I could have done or maybe I could have still talked to the doctor to see what we could have done, but she had already passed; she was gone already.”
The incident occurred near mile three on the Hummingbird Highway in Dangriga. Residents in the area heard the loud bang; they ran out to see an extensively damaged vehicle, which was also on fire. One eyewitness, who was among those who rendered assistance, recounted what she saw.
Sonia Perez, Eyewitness
“I hear this big noise. I mi think dah one of Coco Plum Office boat dehn drop, so I run out and see. But when I see it was a crash by the culvert. So I run to the scene and I reach there and the car mi deh pan flames. The neighbours dehn hurry get water and dash on the car to off the flames. Then dehn start take out the person and only three persons were in the car, the driver was already out.”
Also travelling with Vanzie and Castillo were B.D.F. soldier Zane Zuniga of Sarawee Village and Dangriga resident Damion Usher. While Vanzie perished, all other victims received various degrees of injury for which they are being treated.
Sonia Perez
“Damion was out and I saw that his foot was broke. He fly out of the vehicle. And he had scrapes on his face; he was bleeding and lot and he was bawling for help because he thought his foot was broke – couldn’t even move it. Then take out another guy, who is Zane Zuniga. I’m not sure, but I think he hurt his neck cause he didn’t even move. Then there was a vehicle by the name of Arita. As we take out she, she was unresponsive. We tried to talk to her, we tried to move her and nothing.”
Harry Vanzie says that it was very common for Arita to travel to Dangriga to visit relatives who lived there. Devastated by the loss of his daughter but trying to stay strong for his family, he recounts her personality.
Voice of: Harry Vanzie
“It’s absolutely impossible to know Arita and not know the kind of personality she had. Always having this big smile on her face, always laughing. She had this weird laugh that really captured everybody and it was this one-of-a-kind unique laugh that anybody that knows her absolutely know what I am talking about. She was definitely loved by everyone, extremely mannerly and treated everyone with the utmost respect, affection and love.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
