Police Officer Dies in Motorcycle Accident on His Way to Work

Tonight, heartbreak strikes yet another family as they mourn the loss of their loved one in a tragic road traffic accident over the weekend. On Sunday, around eleven p.m., thirty-year-old Nicky Waight was on his motorcycle heading towards the San Ignacio Police Station when he suddenly lost control and crashed near the Low-lying Bridge, resulting in fatal injuries. This devastating incident adds to a series of deadly accidents this month, underscoring the urgent need for improved road safety measures. News Five’s Britney Gordon brings us the story.

 

Britney Gordon, reporting

Tragically, Belize has lost another life to a road traffic accident. This month alone, it feels like we’ve been reporting on such heartbreaking incidents every week. These aren’t just statistics; they represent real people whose lives have been cut short. The latest victim is thirty-year-old Nicky Waight, a dedicated police officer from the Cayo district. Nicky was on his way to the San Ignacio Police Station when he tragically lost control of his motorcycle and crashed. His mother, Everett Waight, shared with us that Nicky was a hardworking family man, deeply committed to his loved ones and his duty.

 

Everett Waight, Mother of the Deceased

“Well he was a person that worked. He is in the department for ten years. He used to live in Belmopan and he used to come here every day come visit me and then because he has a child, eight-year-old, he used to come and stay with her a little while and help out with her homework and then take her house in Santa Familia.”

 

Everett reminded her son every day to be careful on the road, but that night she did not.

 

Everett Waight

“Four o’clock he had shift. Every day he had shift four o’clock till twelve. Then he used to come and say bye mom and I tell him bye hijo, take care. Every day I used to tell him take care but unfortunately Sunday night. I didn’t  know my son was going to go that Sunday night.”

Nicky had been an officer in the force for over ten years and traveled that route for the past three, without any major incidents.

 

Everett Waight

“From he married to his wife. About three years he is traveling from San Ignacio to Belmopan.”

 

Britney Gordon

“So for three years now, it has been the norm for him to go up and down on these roads. Ans this incident is completely out of the norm for him.”

 

Everett Waight

“Yes.”

 

Another person was injured during the incident. Jessica Escobar, who was also traveling on a motorcycle, collided with Waight’s fallen cycle after his initial accident. According to police, she is in a stable condition.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday police responded to a fatal road traffic accident in Santa Elena at the Low-Lying Bridge. Upon arrival, police two motorcycles on the bridge and the lifeless body of Nicky Waight, The thirty-years Belizean police officer was seen. Also Jessica Escobar with injuries to her arm and shoulder. Investigation revealed that the was driving a motorcycle. He was on duty at the time. He lost control of his motorcycle, so when he fell on the motorcycle, the other female was coming across the bridge and hit the motorcycle and she received injuries.” 

 

The alarming rise in fatal accidents, especially those involving motorcycles, has caught the attention of the Belize Police Department. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, noted that while the department has ramped up checkpoints along the highways, their efforts alone can’t guarantee driver safety. He emphasized the importance of motorists taking proactive steps to protect themselves, offering several key safety tips.

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I’d liked to say to motorcycle riders, not just because you’re entitled to have a road. You must ride at the middle of the road.  Some of them, they ride  smack middle of the road. Almost on that yellow line. To the middle of your side of the room would make more sense.  Remember,  they receive, they know.  And bear in mind that  we do have drivers who have, who has no regards to motorcycle riders, which should not be.”

 

The Waight family is still grappling with the reality of Nicky’s death. Everett says that everyone that ever came across her son would describe him as a good man, who took pride in serving his community. And that memory is timeless.

 

Everett Waight

“He was always a person that liked to help. If you need help, he don’t care who is the person, he will help you. And he was a happy person. He was a friendly person. He was a person that likes to run joke. So I never had a dull moment with him.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.