October 27, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Loose Horse Causes Car Accident

Late last night, a lose horse wandering in the middle of the highway was hit by a vehicle. The incident occurred between Belize City and Orange Walk near Mile 41 on the Philip Goldson Highway. According to the driver, “The road was so dark and there was no way to see the horse until we were already hitting it..it was a particular situation because the horse was walking head first toward us on our side of the road…not crossing….it happened so quickly…”

After the accident, the driver shared their gratitude for the strangers who rushed to help, especially a woman who immediately assisted with their children and controlled the traffic until the police arrived. “By time police arrived and I looked for her to thank her she was gone. May the Lord bless you abundantly!”

Minor injuries were reported.

The driver also called for action to improve road safety, highlighting the need for better-lit roads and for property owners to secure their animals near highways. The driver urged fellow motorists to drive cautiously, wear seat belts, and be mindful of others on the road.

Bus Crash in Central Mexico Kills 19

Nineteen people were killed and six others injured in a bus crash on a highway in Zacatecas, central Mexico, on Saturday. The crash occurred in the early morning when the bus collided with the back of a tractor-trailer carrying corn, which had detached from the vehicle.

Zacatecas Governor David Monreal initially reported a death toll of 24, but the state attorney general’s office later revised the figure to 19.

The attorney general’s office is investigating and has launched efforts to apprehend the tractor-trailer driver. Rescue teams were working to recover bodies from a ravine near the crash site.

The bus was en route to Ciudad Juarez, near the US-Mexico border, and authorities confirmed that none of the victims were migrants.

Should Father Be Charged with Child Endangerment?

Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters on Friday that he will check with the Southern Regional Commander to verify the details of the case. He added that if the information proves accurate, the individual is not fit to be a licensed gunholder. Commissioner Williams mentioned that he will recommend to the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board that the individual’s license be revoked.

ComPol Williams responded to a question involving a reportedly intoxicated father and his 5-year-old son. The incident occurred in Hopkins Village in mid-May and was reported by the child’s mother earlier this month. According to reports, the father arrived home intoxicated, woke their son, and gave him a firearm. He reportedly took the boy outside to teach him how to handle the gun, during which the terrified child reportedly wet himself.

The father then took the boy to the bathroom while the mother discreetly hid the firearm in their vehicle. We understand that the man is yet to be charged.

Robbers Target Uno Gas Station

On Friday morning, brazen robbers disguised in police-style clothing carried robbed the Uno Gas Station on Central American Boulevard. According to reports, they escaped with thousands of dollars.

When reporters asked Police Commissioner, Chester Williams, about it on Friday, he said, “At this time I don’t have much. I know that police in Belize City were called earlier this morning of that incident, and they responded they were following some leads looking for some persons of interest. I’m not sure if they found those persons, so I would want to think that maybe by this evening Ms. Hortence can provide some update to you all on that matter.”

According to reports, early that morning the station manager, Michael Brown, was preparing to open for business when two masked men arrived on a motorcycle. The suspects, wearing dark blue jackets with “police” written on the back and camouflage pants, approached Brown under the pretence of needing assistance with the air hose.

As Brown went to retrieve the air hose, they pushed him inside, with one of the men pulling out a firearm and demanding money while the other guarded the door.

Brown was forced into the station’s office at gunpoint and ordered to open the safe. The robbers escaped with a significant amount of cash, Brown’s personal .38 pistol, and the gas station’s Hard Disc Recorder used for surveillance footage. They fled on their motorcycle towards Cemetery Road.