19-Year-Old Aspiring Veterinarian Loses Life in Traffic Accident  

A nineteen-year-old woman is dead, and her twenty-two-year-old brother is hospitalized, following a motorcycle and vehicle collision in Santa Elena Town. Tamisha Jeal and her brother Keenan Wragg were travelling towards San Ignacio on a motorbike when the bike collided into a pickup truck. The incident left Tamisha with fatal injuries one day after her birthday. She graduated from Galen University only a couple months ago and was well on her way to becoming a wildlife veterinarian. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Nineteen-year-old Tamisha Jeal and her brother Keenan Wragg were travelling towards San Ignacio on a motorbike when it collided into a pickup truck. The vehicle was attempting to make a left turn off the highway when the collision occurred. Both Tamisha and Keenan were flung off the motorbike. Tamisha’s injuries proved fatal. Sadly, her death came one day after her birthday. We spoke with Linda’s mother who is presently with Keenan at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

 

Linda Jeal, Mother of Deceased

“She has just turned nineteen on September seventh, so the family and I were out celebrating with her. My son had just turned twenty-two on September fourth, so we were doing one joint birthday celebration with granny, granddad, all of them. We decided to go home, and they stayed in San Ignacio and the vehicle had a blowout. So, they stayed, and a kind friend lent them the bike. I was getting ready for church, and I turned to my daughter, and I said I love you. I told my son I love you. I said I am going to church. They said, mom we are going to drop back the bike, because they loaned it to us. So, they got on the bike and when I was going into church I saw when the bike passed, and I waved. I didn’t know that would be the last time I would say goodbye to my daughter.”

 

As Linda Jeal explained it, the accident occurred while her children were on their way to return the motorbike to a friend. Keenan was in the driver’s seat. She says they were a short distance from the friend’s home, and they were not driving with great speed.

 

Linda Jeal

“He said and the vehicle coming in the opposite, direction, because they were going to San Ignacio, the vehicle coming from the opposite direction just turned and he said, mom I couldn’t stop. He said all I could do was brakes. And when he brakes, he said he used his right hand to grab his sister, but he said, he could hold her. He fell off the bike and she, I don’t know, was knocked by the vehicle. By the time I reached there from church she was already in the ambulance and the ambulance told me that I had to follow. I didn’t get to see her. I went up to the San Ignacio Hospital. I want to thank them; they did a great job. They came out every minute to tell us what was happening. They said they pumped our daughter’s heart for twenty minutes, but they couldn’t revive her.”

 

Tamisha Jeal graduated from Galen University in its 2024 class with an Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology. She graduated at the top of her class and was volunteering at the Belize Wildlife and Veterinary Clinic just outside of Georgeville. Her rubber boots, raincoat and field hat are all together at the clinic, a reminder to her colleagues of life’s fragility.

 

Dr. Isabelle Paquet-Durand, Director, Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic

“This was definitely her strong interest. She was a first for me and an aspiring Belizean wildlife veterinarian that was going to take my roll eventually.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Is that unique for Belizeans?”

 

Dr. Isabelle Paquet- Durand

“Yes, we have few veterinarians in the country still and when it comes to wildlife it is an interest for some, but we don’t have a person yet in Belize that wants to take it on as a full-on profession. Her positive approach to life. She left us daily quotes on our board. So aside from being passionate about the environment and animals which is a rare gem to find she was a lovely human being, always concerned about everybody around here and brining up the spirits all day that she was here.”

 

Linda Jeal

“She had high honors. They recognized her at Galen. She had her whole future in front of her. W had applied to three different universities for her to further her education. She was the most beautiful, loving, young lady.”

 

According to Linda Jeal, both of her son’s arms were fractured in the incident. She says he has a great deal of experience with motorbikes and is a member of a biker’s group. Police say a notice of intended prosecution has been served upon both drivers.

 

A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“A Nissan Frontier was found at the scene and a Kawasaki motorcycle was seen with extensive damage. Information was that the Kawasaki ran into the pickup and crashed. As a result, Keenan Wragg was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment and he had a passenger with him, namely Tamisha Jeal and she was taken to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. An NIP has been served on both drivers. An investigation continues into this report.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.