Belize City mechanic remanded on numerous charges for fatal accident

Deon Spencer

On Saturday night a Hattieville resident was killed in a fatal traffic accident a stone’s throw away from his house. According to police, around eight-forty five that night they discovered the body of thirty-three year old Deon Spencer near mile seventeen on the western highway. Spencer, who suffered head and body injuries, was riding his bike in the direction of Belize City when he was knocked down by an SUV driven by thirty-two year old Julian Martinez. It was said that Spencer would always make regular trips in the village on his bike.

Shawn Banner, Sister-in-law of the Deceased

“Afta when my husband mi ker me out deh so and I see ih mi laid out on the street side so; the highway.”

Andrea Polanco

“Do you know anything about the accident itself? What happened?”

Shawn Banner

Shawn Banner

“No they just said like a vehicle knocked him down. He was riding on a bicycle.”

Andrea Polanco

“So when you saw him, to which areas of the body was the injuries?”

Shawn Banner

“I neva did see ih body. When I get there, he was already covered with a sheet or something. He died on the spot.”

Andrea Polanco

“So you guys haven’t heard anything about the accident itself; what caused it?”

Shawn Banner

“Nothing. Police or nobody come back yah come say anything and dah yah ih live.”

Andrea Polanco

“Do you know where Deon was going; what he was doing at that time?”

Shawn Banner

“No I noh know weh ih go. I just see when I come from my village, I see him going through the gate. I hail ahn, ih bredda hail ahn and he say like that—ih just wave ih hand and do so. I noh know weh ih gwen and ih noh wah tell yo cause ih no live with me.”

Andrea Polanco

“So he would usually maybe go out on his bike and circle around the village?”

Shawn Banner

“Yeah cause dah yah dah weh ih live—Hattieville dah ih village.”

Andrea Polanco

“So again what day and what time did all of this happen?”

Shawn Banner

“Well dah mi Holy Saturday like after 8:30 round that time deh dah night. I noh know if dah shop ih mi gwen because people say ih mi have ice. So I nuh know.”

Julian Martinez has since been arrested and charged with driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention; manslaughter by negligence; causing death by careless conduct; and driving a motor vehicle with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit. In court, no plea was taken and there was no objection to bail. Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, however, denied bail and remanded Martinez to prison until May twenty-eighth.

And in the village of Sarteneja up north, a one year old was killed on Sunday afternoon in another traffic fatality.  Twenty year old Luis Tzul reportedly hit Bryden Chan, who he claims, ran in front of his pick-up truck in the vicinity of a bar in the village. The one year old was rushed to the hospital in Corozal Town but did not survive the head and body injuries. Tzul has been detained by the police.