Tonight, a family is heartbroken after a tragic motorcycle accident claimed another life in Belize. The victim, Eric Williams from San Pedro, was found injured on the ground early Sunday morning. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Williams sadly succumbed to his injuries. ACP Hilberto Romero has more details on this heartbreaking incident.
“On Sunday, the tenth 2024, there was a fatal road traffic accident in San Pedro. Police visited an area around one a.m. where they saw a motorcycle with damages. Also, they saw the body of a male person. The person was taken to the hospital for treatment for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. He was identified as Eric Williams of San Pedro. Investigation revealed that he was riding his motorcycle when he crashed into a lamppost. And thereafter, he was taken and succumbed to his injuries.”
In recent months, fatal road traffic accidents have tragically become one of the leading causes of death in Belize. This past weekend, the country mourned the loss of two more lives in separate accidents in the northern and southern regions. One of the victims was Elias Cowo, a resident of San Felipe, who lost his life en route to August Pine Ridge Village. News Five’s Britney Gordon brings us the details in this report.
Britney Gordon
Britney Gordon, Reporting
In late October, Elias Cowo from San Felipe was anxious to buy a new motorcycle. Little did he know, just a week later, he’d be taking his final ride. Around ten p.m., Elias hopped on his bike, heading to a party he was excited about. Tragically, he never made it. His brother, Daniel, recounts the heartbreaking events of that night.
Daniel Cowo
Daniel Cowo, Brother of Deceased
“I was at the home with my mom. She was sick. Afterward, I told her, where’s my breda? She told me she, he had left from him. He just bathe, and gone outside with the motorcycle. So I tell my mom. He will come back right now. Cause he always do that. Well, then I went to buy some stuff. Then I come back to my house. And then I leave. After that, then I come out. When I come out, I had a call from my wife. And she tell me that something happen to my breda.”
Britney Gordon
This is the road Cowo was travelling. And just before he made it to Shipyard Junction, reportedly, a drunken man entered into his path. And in an attempt to avoid him, he lost his life.
Elias Cowo
Britney Gordon
“When you got there and saw that, what was the feeling upon seeing something like that?”
Daniel Cowo
“Well, I got scared. It’s my brother, so I cannot do nothing.”
Britney Gordon
“Were there already paramedics on the scene trying to assist him”
Daniel Cowo
“No, no. There was nothing about that. Only the police officers were there. But they were waiting for, like, somebody from the family who know that that’s the body of him in there. So that’s why I was there. I reach there late though. I neva know about it. I just gone.”
Elias Cowo
Reports say the person who wandered onto the road was drunk but luckily only got minor injuries. However, Elias’ brother, Cowo, shared that Elias wasn’t wearing a helmet and might have been drinking too.
Daniel Cowo
“I think that he got an injury in his foot and his hand. But, I’m not sure what happened exactly. But my brother died in the instantly. He was going with the motorcycle. I think, when he said in person closer, he crashed with it.”
Elias Cowo
Britney Gordon
“Trying to avoid him?”
Daniel Cowo
“Yeah. And it was already close because my brother was drunk too, so we could not do nothing.”
Elias’ mother, Isabel Cowo, is taking his death the hardest. She told us that she had pleaded with him not to ride the motorcycle that night.
Isabel Cowo
Isabel Cowo, Mother of Deceased
“I am making all the arrangements right now to be able to get my son’s body, but it’s been very difficult. Everything takes a process. So far, I’ve been told we have to wait through the process to get his body. We don’t know if it will take a week or two. We dont know. We understand that it’s not only his case; there are other families as well in similar situations, waiting for updates. All I know is that I’m trying my best. To tell you the truth, I have never been through such an ordeal like this before. My husband’s death felt different. But losing my son—it’s a pain I’ve never felt before. Right now I’m feeling very hurt; I feel bad; it’s something that I think no one can really overcome alone, only with the help of God. That’s really all I can say for now.”
While Daniel admits that Elias could be a bit reckless at times, he fondly remembers his brother’s infectious, jovial spirit that lit up every room he entered.
Daniel Cowo
“He used to go out around with a lot of guys. He always goes to a party anddance and everything. He enjoy, like too much to enjoy everything, yeah. But, I always tell him, be careful for everything. You don’t know what’s going to happen to you if you go on the motorcycle and drunk. My mom doesn’t want it that way. He did buy a motorcycle, so that’s why.”
Daniel says that he is trying to be there for his mother as he attempts to process his own grief. Britney Gordon for News Five.
As we mentioned earlier, another tragic motorcycle accident claimed the life of a Belizean man on Saturday. The victim was Elias Cowo from San Felipe. His family suspects that alcohol and possibly another person were involved in the circumstances leading to his death. Here’s ACP Hilberto Romero with the official report.
“On Saturday, the second day of November, there was a fatal road traffic accident at San Felipe Village in the Orange Walk District. Police visited the area where they saw the lifeless body of Elias Cowo. Beside him, there was a motorcycle with extensive damages. Investigation revealed that Elias Cowo was driving his motorcycle when he lost control and fell to the street causing his fatal injuries.”
The recent surge in fatal road accidents, especially involving motorcycles, has become a pressing concern for Belizeans nationwide. Reports of deadly collisions have become almost weekly, drawing attention to road safety practices. While some incidents are attributed to motorcyclists, a significant number involve careless car drivers who contribute to these crashes. The Department of Transport is working to strengthen road safety legislation. However, with both motorcyclists and drivers responsible, the impact of new regulations may be limited unless they address all motorists. Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle provided further details on the project.
Leon Gentle
Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer
“On the seventh of October, we myself and the project manager for the road safety two, has met with PAHO, who has pledged their support in identifying how we can move forward with improving the legislation, as well as providing some technical support for that element of it. As you all know, PAHO is most interested in that because it puts a strain on the health system. And all of that, there is that collaborated effort. We are seeking regional funding to be able to provide that level of support, both technically and legislatively as it relates to improving the legislation. We are at that level.”
Reporter
“Would you maybe concede that it’s a problem, larger problem in terms of enforcement as well?”
Leon Gentle
“That’s a part of the problem. And we have made efforts to see how we can make adjustments to that level of it. There is a collaborative effort with the police department as well as the municipal authorities to be able to sit together and discuss how we’re going to attack the dynamics of that element as it relates to vehicles and driving habits and how we’re moving forward. Quite recently we had a session with a consultant who, and I’ve mentioned this in several interviews already, looking at safe driving manuals and to see how we can introduce the concept of a graduated driver’s license. So there’s an educational element of it, there’s a legislative improvement element of it, as well as to see how we can look from an enforcement standpoint to see how we can increase enforcement in areas such as highways, in rural areas, in areas where there are the hot spots as it relates to those motorcycles accidents and accidents on a whole.”
A Belize Defence Force soldier lost his life in a traffic crash on Monday night on the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway. Twenty-six-year-old Genario Che was on his motorcycle heading home when he collided with a truck. He died on the scene. News Five’s Britney Gordon headed down south to find out more.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The family of twenty-six-year-old Genario Che is tonight grieving after the young B.D.F. soldier lost his life on Monday night on the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway in Toledo. His girlfriend, Benedicta Cal, told News Five that she was at home waiting to hear back from him at the time of the incident.
Benedicta Cal
Benedicta Cal, Girlfriend of Deceased
“I neva expect him to come home yesterday evening because he told me that he reach today later on. He just video call me round two thirty tell me he de da town. He tell me he gwen buy this white T-shirt so I tell he good. So afta that I di try call he again, lone voicemail.”
Che was enjoying some time off with a colleague at a bar in Punta Gorda earlier that afternoon. The two parted ways and Che headed home in Silver Creek Village. Tragically, Che would never arrive to his destination as he collided with a pick up truck. He died on the scene. Maria Cucul, Che’s mother, says she could have never anticipated what would happen to her son after he left their home earlier that day.
Maria Cucul
Maria Cucul, Mother of Deceased
“I didn’t know. I only know that he gone early morning to work. Not knowing he lost his life.”
Che was previously stationed in Belize City but was recently relocated closer to home. He bought the motorcycle three days before his death to travel back and forth to work. Major Roberta Usher, the B.D.F.’s Chief of Staff, spoke to News Five.
Roberta Usher
Major Roberta Usher, Chief of Staff, B.D.F.
“The information received is that on the road, towards Jacinto Ville in PG the soldier live in Silver Creek. He was not on duty at the time, he was on time off for yesterday. He had the time off from his supervisors. He was scheduled to return to return to work at fourteen hundred, two p.m. but he never did. So all of that is being investigated as to why he did not return at two.”
Che was known to the force as a reserved but committed soldier, and those closest to him remember him for his kindness and friendly spirit.
Major Roberta Usher
“He has been in the force for seven years. He’s a member of the Alpha company in the first infantry battalion. All his colleagues and friends that we’ve asked, he’s a very quiet individual, very productive, committed to his work. Personally, we all go through issues, whether he was or was not. His friends say sometimes he was down sometimes he wasn’t but at work, his friends say he was committed, productive soldier, always doing his job.”
Genario Che
Benedicta Cal
“He’s a friendly, talkative, respectful young man.”
Che tragic incident has brought the family together to celebrate his life.
Maria Cucul
“He’s a really friendly boy. He’s a loving son to me, He is the one that helps me in my life and my family,”
Britney Gordon
“Does he have any siblings?”
Maria Cucul
“Yes, he has two brothers and four sisters. His father died long time ago”
Britney Gordon
“And was he the eldest? Because I know he was junior.”
This morning, a police mobile unit was involved in an accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway. According to A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, the driver lost control of the vehicle. Romero says the officer sustained minor injuries and is currently receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
“This morning the police mobile attached to Mahogany Heights was involved in an accident. The driver reported that he was driving between miles twenty-four and twenty-five on the Phillip Goldstone Highway when he lost control of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to flip. The officer was taken to the KHMH for treatment. He is presently there. An investigation is being carried out. Minor injuries he received. The damage is to the front portion, the top of the vehicle.”
A tragic accident occurred on the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway in Southern Belize on Saturday. A vehicle collided with a motorcycle traveling in the opposite direction, resulting in the death of seventeen-year-old Christian Guerra, the motorcycle driver. Assistant Commissioner Hilberto Romero mentioned that the police are investigating the incident, including whether Guerra had a valid driver’s license. Meanwhile, the vehicle’s driver, Esequias Vasquez, has been detained as part of the ongoing investigation.
“On Saturday the 13th of October, there was a fatal road traffic accident between miles two and three on the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway. Police visited the area where they saw a motorcycle with extensive damage. Also seen was a Dodge Ram pickup. The motorcycle was driven by Christian Guerra and the Dodge Ram was being driven by Esequias Vasquez. Christian Guerra was taken for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. Esequias Vasquez is presently in police custody awaiting charges in reference to this fatal road traffic accident.”
Another motorcyclist lost his life over the long holiday weekend. This time, a mishap occurred, just like the other incident, between a vehicle and a motorcycle. It happened on Sunday on the San Antonio Road in Orange Walk and claimed the life of Edgar Gongora. Police say that the driver of the Mercury four-door vehicle, Enrique Maldonado, has been served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution while the investigation progresses.
“On Sunday, the 13th of October, there was a fatal road traffic accident on the San Antonio Road in Orange Walk. Police visited the area where they saw a motorcycle extensively damaged and a Mercury four-door car with damages. Information is that Edgar Gongora was riding his motorcycle when he attempted to overtake the Mercury car driven by Enrique Maldonado. He hit the front portion of the car and caused him to lose control of the motorcycle, causing him to fall to the ground and he receive injuries. He was taken to the hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. An investigation is being carried out into this fatal road traffic accident.”
Tonight, a family is reaching out to the public for help with the medical treatment of seventy-seven-year-old Chrisanto Chub, who was hospitalized after a hit-and-run incident. On October eleventh, around 2:30 PM, Chub was crossing the road in Bella Vista Village when he was struck by a passing motorcycle. He had been visiting his stepson, Jose Shol, who quickly rushed to his aid. Chub is now receiving care at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City. Shol, who is staying at the hospital to support his stepfather, provided News Five with an update on Chub’s condition.
Jose Shol
Jose Shol, Victim’s Stepson
“He was hit by a motorcycle. Somebody told us. Where is that guy? He went away. He only hit my stepfather and he left him there like animal. But he mentioned to us that we can carry him to the hospital. So we carry him that same night. And while they treat him there and the ambulance carry him to Southern Regional Hospital in Dangriga. So just it’s all we it’s all about a week now. So just yesterday we came in Belmopan to check the crack. My stepfather is getting old. He’s seventy-seven years. So the doctor tell me that as a person is getting old, the brain is getting smaller. So there is a place in between the skull and the brain where the blood stays. So they’re going to treat him with some medicines. If they, if not they will be doing surgery to take out the blood that is bruised inside. If God touches their heart, they can contact me with my number. My number is six-six-eight-five-one-four-four. Because I am the person doing my best to support him. Like I mentioned, there are old people. My mom has a cataract on her eye, and they always struggle. So that’s why I felt what happened to him because I cannot do all the things to support my mom by myself. I’m not saying that I’m not helping, but like I mentioned, I cannot do it all. So this is what touches me. So that’s why I’m sacrificing myself to be with him.”
On Monday around 7 p.m., a silver/grey Toyota Forerunner SUV rear-ended a motorcycle carrying a family of four, resulting in the death of an 11-month-old girl. The incident happened on the Hummingbird Highway between miles 49 and 50 near the Agua Viva community, as the family was heading towards Belmopan.
The driver of the SUV fled the scene without offering assistance, leaving the family to be helped by a passerby who rushed them to the Western Regional Hospital.
The 11-month-old girl, Giselle Mejia, succumbed to severe head trauma shortly after 7 p.m. The parents, 45-year-old Moises Mejia and 27-year-old Kaylie Aparicio, along with their 23-month-old toddler, survived with injuries.
Aparicio suffered abrasions on her hands and knees, while the toddler had a forehead abrasion and a deep cut above their right eyebrow.
The father, Moises Mejia, sustained minor injuries and arm pain.
