Two Persons Killed When Ambulance Crashes Into Their Motorcycle
A man and a woman are dead after they were knocked down on Monday night as they were traveling across the Beaver Dam Bridge between miles thirty-eight and thirty-nine on the George Price Highway. The offending vehicle was an ambulance based in southern Belize that had made a trip to Belize City and was returning. It was traveling in the same direction behind the motorcycle when it collided into the back of the bike. The incident has left the families distraught and their co-workers in disbelief. While police sift through the evidence to determine who or what was at fault, they’ve served the driver of the ambulance with a Notice of Intended Prosecution. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story in this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Forty-one-year-old Aurelio Ayala and twenty-one-year-old Joana Somoza, both employees of a recycling plant near mile eight on the George Price Highway, died in a traffic accident near the Beaver Dam Bridge. The incident happened on Monday night in the vicinity of St. Matthew’s Village. They left work late and nightfall caught them on the road. It would prove fatal for them. Jeremy Smith was at home near the bridge when the incident occurred.
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy Smith, Resident
“We heard the bang and then we hear like when you hear the bang, then this had thud. We came out. My mom and me come out last night and dehn tell wi that how – we see the lady down deh eena the creek and the man mi deh down deh pahn the highway.”
These mangled pieces of metal are the remains of a Lifan two-fifty horsepower motorcycle that the pair was travelling on. The right front portion of the ambulance that crashed into the motorcycle, as well as the right portion of its front windshield, was visibly damaged. The Belize Police Department’s Communications Director, Assistant Superintendent Fitzroy Yearwood says that they have served the driver of the ambulance, Josh Barillas, with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.
Fitzroy Yearwood
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department
“Initial investigation revealed that the ambulance was driven at the time by Josh Barrillas, who claim that. Upon crossing the Beaver Dam Bridge, he didn’t notice the motorbike in front of him and this motorbike was rear-ended.”
Barrillas has voluntarily given police a urine sample, and he and a passenger in the ambulance were taken to the Western Regional Hospital for injuries they suffered. Samoza’s mother, Cindy Samoza told News Five today that her family is devastated by the incident.
Voice of: Cindy Samoza, Mother of Joanna Samoza
“All ah we devastated tight now because this da neva wa way we mi expect she fi gone that, but we just put it eena God’s hands. She mi di wait fi he long time da the bus stop and I think that da why dehn come late because she usually come out five but the co-workers weh mi deh deh seh deh see she di wait.”
The ambulance, according to A.S.P Yearwood, is based in the south and was travelling back from Belize City. The location where the accident happened raises serious concerns. There are some, like Jeremy Smith, who feel that better lighting in the area would have prevented the mishap.
Jeremy Smith
“Ih dark da night. And I think ih mi avoidable last night if at least better lighting and like that because dehn cudda mi see the traffic back and forth. Yeah, because ya soh very, very dark da night. At least we use that just so bright up. And then fi we light weh we put deh soh, we could at least go out and come in from fi we area.”
Marion Ali for News Five.
