Moro dies after crashing into Mexican embassy vehicle

A traffic accident on the George Price Highway, just a short distance from the police checkpoint ended fatally for a taxi driver just after seven on Tuesday night.  George David Moro was heading back west to his family when he crashed into a vehicle with diplomatic license plates. Four others were injured but Moro did not survive the impact of the collision. His wife tells Duane Moody of her last conversation with her husband.

Duane Moody, Reporting

A family from San Ignacio grapples with the death of their loved one following a traffic mishap just after seven on the George Price Highway. Thirty-seven year old George David Moro, a taxi operator from San Ignacio Town perished after his vehicle slammed head on into a vehicle with diplomatic license plates coming from the opposite direction. The incident happened in close proximity to the entrance of CISCO Constructions and Francis Woods spoke of what he saw when he arrived on scene.

Francis Woods, Respondent to Scene

Francis Woods

“We arrived there probably about five minutes after it happened. As we got there, we kinda put our vehicle in a safe place to protect the accident scene. And we saw about four young ladies that were on the side of the road with multiple juries—some of them bleeding pretty bad—one baby, a gentleman and a taxi man stuck in his car. There were two cars; a red Nissan and a white chevy taxi. People were already assisting on the site; two of my daughters that were at home were out assisting the ladies. The police got here right after we did. The fire engine, BERT Ambulance came out, did all they could do and really did a professional job there.”

Moro, according to his wife, Azucena, was on a chartered trip to Belize City. She says that the last time she saw her husband was on Tuesday morning when he picked up their two sons and took them to school.

Via Phone: Azucena Moro, Wife of Deceased

“He called me and he told me that he was on his way back home.”

Duane Moody

“This was around what time?”

Via Phone: Azucena Moro

“About six o’clock. It was about six o’clock he told me that he was coming back home. And I told him okay, just drive carefully. And he said yes, I wah drive slow.08:23 And then he sent me a text telling me please text me because I di drop asleep and I neva had no credit on my phone to text him.”

But about an hour and a half before the accident that took his life, Moro – like almost foreshadowing his demise – called Azucena, wished her the best and begged for her forgiveness.

Via Phone: Azucena Moro

“And then he called me and we were talking and he say, babe, please forgive me for everything that I’ve done to you. I just want make you to be happy; that’s all that he told me, but please forgive me. And he said, I promise you that everything will change between you and me. And I asked him why are you telling me that and he said I don’t know. I am just telling you that I love you.”

And just after seven, while traveling west on the George Price Highway by mile four, Moro crashed head on into this maroon Nissan Maxima car registered to the Mexican Embassy. Driven at the time by thirty-one year old Marco Antonio Lopez Leon, its passengers received varying degrees of injuries. Moro died moments after the collision.

Francis Woods

“All the folks in the red car coming from Belmopan had on their seatbelts and I think if they didn’t have on their seatbelts, it would have been far more serious injuries. The taxi man unfortunately didn’t have on his seatbelt. The airbag did come out but he still managed to get underneath and I think the steering wheel messed up his internal organs and stuff like that.  When I got their first, he was still alive. I could see him blinking and moving a little bit; it didn’t seem that he was in any pain or anything like that. But shortly after, he passed away.  Soon as police gave the all clear we were able to secure the vehicles inside our yard; we used machines to pull it off fairly quickly. That’s when the fire department just cleaned off the highway.”

Leon was injured to the left side of his body and mouth. His passengers: twenty-nine year olds Melissa Mai and Noriko Gamero, thirty-one year old Yanira Bonilla and four year old Ayanna Bradley were rushed by ambulance to the K.H.M.H. for treatment. Duane Moody for News Five.

When News Five contacted the Mexican Embassy today we were informed that there will be no official comment. There was another accident that ended fatally for a police constable. Just after midnight on Tuesday night, twenty-nine year old Osmaine Gabourel from Camalote was driving a Ford SUV bound from Punta Gorda Town to Forest Home. But he never made it to his destination because upon reaching the Hopeville area, Gabourel lost control of the vehicle, slammed into the front portion of the Southern Art and Craft Building and landed in the drain. Gabourel sustained the fatal injuries to his head and the rest of his body. He was rushed to the Punta Gorda Town Hospital where he passed away at one thirty-five am.

In a third accident, just before ten this morning, a truck belonging to the Ministry of Works ran off the road near mile two and a half on the George Price Highway. The truck apparently experienced mechanical problems causing the driver to lose control; the vehicle came to an abrupt stop in the drain. About six to eight passengers were in the pan of the truck but fortunately no one was injured.