Private car and school bus collide on the Western Highway
A car collided into a school bus last night at mile one and a half on the Western Highway. The car was extremely damaged and luckily no one was seriously injured. The driver of the car, Gaynor Richards was stuck inside the vehicle until officers cut the metal around her and pulled her out. The school bus’ driver fifty-two year old Leslie Rogers, a veteran on the road, said he did what he could to avoid the vehicle when it lost control. Both vehicles were damaged, according to Rogers.
Leslie Rogers, Accident Victim
leslie rogers
“Coming down about mile one and a half just before the Holland area. I saw the car swing, losing control. I pull way over on my right side and suddenly the car made a surge into my bus and knocked me on my left side, the driver’s side and damaged the whole left side, the engine, axles and other parts of the bus.”
Jose Sanchez
“The accident could have been worse?”
Leslie Rogers
“Ih could ah mi worse, if that lady, if that car mi gone straight under my bus, it would have been worse. I noh know weh mi wah could be the outcome, but ih mi wah definitely worse. Weh I pull off and haul off, I think I save her a lot there.”
Jose Sanchez
“Were there any impediments, any obstacles in the road that may have caused her to swerve into your lane?”
Leslie Rogers
“From my knowledge I noh see nothing. But I neva know if she see anything behind me or side ah mi or on her hand. But on my hand there were no obstacles. I glad that nobody neva deh pan my side cause if somebody mi di ride wah bike or something like that maybe ih mi wah get hurt or killed. When she knocked me, I end up way ina di drain cause I mi di pull off at the time. I get some bruise, things mi lee athletic and stuff. I got some pains that I di go through some bruise and soh, but I think I will mek it. I wish her luck. Well I hope that she alright, glad that the person alright.”
Richards is receiving treatment for the injuries sustained in the collision.
We need to tightened the rules on these cars and drivers. We do this in two ways:
1) All registered motorised vehicle must have an annual road safety check. Vehicles less than 3 years old would still be in their warranty and therefore exempted from these checks. This certainly will bring down the number of old cars clogging up the narrow streets in Belize City, and keep mechanics busy. I realise that only a few mechanic shops will have the computerised facilities to do these checks, but it means that the rest will have to travel abroad get some training and raise their game or go out of business. Stop the cowboys!
2) When we have accidents like these, are the people involved breathalyzed for drink driving? We need to start. These two people had an extremely luck escape.
Thank GOD they can walk away from this………………..