BDF Driver Charged After Truck Overturns

Forty-eight-year-old Joseph Cifiriano Avila, a Belize Defense Force truck driver from Lord’s Bank Village, has been charged with “failure to provide a specimen” and “driving without due care and attention.” The charges come on the heels of a Christmas Eve accident on the Southern Highway. The crash happened near the Bocawina Junction just before seven p.m. on Tuesday. Video footage shows Avila’s truck flipped onto its roof as he was driving from Punta Gorda to Price Barracks, with one passenger on board. Avila told police he swerved to avoid a motorcycle, causing the truck to veer off the road and overturn. Officers noted a strong smell of alcohol on Avila’s breath, and he refused to provide a sample for testing. He was subsequently charged and issued a Notice of Intended Prosecution. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported from the incident.