10 year old student killed in highway accident
A child was tragically killed on the Northern Highway this afternoon when he was knocked down just after leaving school. The ten year old student died when he was being rushed to the hospital. The vehicle, a white Hyundai van, was heading to Belize City when the student ran across the highway in Sand Hill Village. News Five’s Marion Ali was on the scene and files this report.
Marion Ali, reporting
News Five was at the accident scene at mile nineteen on the Northern Highway less than five minutes after it happened at around three thirty five this afternoon.
We were on our way back from another assignment and when we got to the scene, standard two student of Pancotto Primary School in Sand Hill Village, ten year old Zion Belisle, was still lying on the road where he landed after impact.
Broken glass on the road shows where Zion was hit and the fresh spot of blood where he landed was at least fifty feet away. Tire marks before the impact point suggested the driver, Dion Skeen, tried to stop and swerve before hitting the child. The white van that struck him was reportedly travelling towards Belize City. The van, dented at the front and stained with a mango that the child was eating, was still parked on the right hand side of the road where it came to a halt after the incident. Eyewitnesses, including a fellow student who had just gotten off the same school bus at Zion, shared what they witnessed.
Voice of student
“I mi deh by the speed bump ova soh the cross and then when I see the truck just knock ahn and the lee bwai fly back way.”
Marion Ali
“So what was he doing to get hit, when he got hit?”
Voice of student
“Ih just mi deh soh and ih mi di cross and then middle ah di road like pan the side of the truck soh. Ih knock ahn right pan the side yah soh”
Marion Ali
“The little boy was he walking, running? Did he just run out?”
Voice of student
“ih mi di run.”
Francisco Gomez, Eyewitness
Francisco Gomez
“He gone fi run cross and then weh gone on after that, ih just back way. Man take up high off of the road and ih just dash ah way up soh. And I feel like bally could ah mi brakes too, ih coulda mi brakes because ih see the bus stop right here and ih coulda mi stop way from up soh and ease down and wait ‘til that lee pickney cross.”
Principal of Pancotto Primary School, Anna Reyes said the child had just left the schoolyard on the first trip the school bus makes to take the children home.
Anna Reyes, Principal, Pancotto Primary School
“The bus just picked them up and he came and we don’t know what really happened. Another child came to school and just say to me that he get hit and that’s it. That’s all I know.”
Marion Ali
“What time did he leave school?”
Anna Reyes, Principal, Pancotto Primary School
“They left school like 3:35 he left school.”
Marion Ali
“So he had just left school like five minutes before?”
Anna Reyes
Anna Reyes, Principal, Pancotto Primary School
“Just left, just left. That’s the first trip the bus makes.”
Zion Belisle died while on the way to the hospital. The news will be a blow for his mother, who is currently in the United States. He was living with an aunt in Sand Hill, who teaches in Lucky Strike Village. Marion Ali for News Five.
The driver of the vehicle, Dion Skeen has since been detained.
It is said that no one know the substantial reality of accident, nevertheless reasonable persons do the best to prevent accident from happening, In this case it may save lives if a traffic law is put into effect that reguire school buses to have flashing red lights functioning at all times when picking up and dropping off schoold childrens, especially on the highway, and drivers going in the direction of the bus must stop at the back of the bust until,the bus driver give clearance to over take. And motorist going in the opposit direction shoiuld exercise due caution when attempting to pass the bus. I saw this in many other countries.
How sad to hear a young boy died coming home from school.
Belizeans drive like mad people on the highways as well as in the cities, without due care and attention, no wonder so many have died from traffic accidents, and will continue to do so.
Speed bumps should be placed in each vicinity of schools and parks.
There has to be a striker penalty for drivers of Belize, I can come up with several different punishments for these people.
Things really need to change in belize. All school buses should have the stop sign up as children are getting off. My little cousin should not die in vain. Let’s make sure another child doesn’t have to die this way.
the law need to be more stricker on drivers in belize coz this make no doggan sence what so ever,Zion was a great kid.that driver should be charge but this is belize im talking bout so i know not a thing will come out of it,shame shame shame,coz once u know that school is being over with at a certain time u should know there will kids crosing the road and for that bus driver he should have park on the side that poor zion was crosing.rest in peace zion u will be miss babe.
R.I.P little brother…
i agree with the red light stuff. I think ALL BUS (including public ones) should do this. I personally stop cause you can never tell. They should enforce this or else it can happen again. condolence to the family and sad you had to loose one of the family.. RIP
THIS CASE COULD HAVE BEEN THE KID WHO HAD THE FAULT BUT we should remember that while passing schools always be cautious no matter what is your urgency, kids can’t think like we grown ups. so the driver should have been cautious this would have never happen. never fly pass a school area. kids they don’t care and we the drivers have to keep in mind this kids running across the street problem. we have kids also and we never know when it can be ours. r.i.p little belizean bro. praying the lord hold you in his precious arms of love and care and condolences to the grieving family.
They need to be strick with these bus drivers especially when they are driving students. These drivers do not like to go on the side of the road to let off passenger….we need good and responsible drivers for these buses. Traffic department need to do something about these reckless drivers.
If we had proper bus stops that required the buses to pull off the road, accidents like these could be avoided. I also agrees with the first post concerning the flashing lights and the law that needs to be implemented.
From my point of view, the driver should be at fault because he should have known better than to speed in a school zone where kids cross everyday. Also these bus companies who drop kids off should also have a chaperone to see that these kids get on the opposite side of the road when being dropped off. We should also look into this situation as a young innocent child died due to carelessness of this driver. My Deepest condolences goes out to his mom Sophie and the rest of the family. May his Beautiful soul rest in eternal peace. Zion will be missed dearly by me and my family in N.Y.C. Amen
belize have no laws, people do whatever they want, many drivers license are bought and dont u think its time all the belizeans living in belize stop taking about what should be done and u should start doing something to better ur country! remember our children is the future of belize.
my condolences goes out to Sophie and her family, may Zion soul rest in peace with the lord.
to the person that said belize don’t have any law,it does but the people that is in power are week an thats is why we talk about it an then figuer out a way how to try and solve that problem,an maybe god is using little zi so that things can be change in belize.u let ur voice be heard an that’s how u’ll get the government to listen but if we just close our mouth then every second a kid will die or a grown up will die too,so for every one that have a voice start going on the radio and other network an get things started.R.I.P Little ZION I love u an u will be miss.ur death wont go in vein baby boy.
my heart goes out to sophie and the family.r.i.p zion. god bless ur soul.