Couple Dies After Car Flips on George Price Highway

Tonight, heartbreak grips two families following a deadly crash early Sunday morning. The victims, Jovaun Middleton of Ontario Village and his passenger, Ashley Gongora Mejia, lost their lives in a tragic road accident that has sent shockwaves across the country. Their sudden deaths have once again highlighted the devastating toll of traffic accidents on Belize’s youth. As their families and friends mourn, questions are being raised about road safety and what more can be done to prevent these tragedies. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

In the early hours of Sunday morning, tragedy struck on the George Price Highway when two young Belizeans lost their lives in a fatal road traffic accident. Around two thirty a.m., Police were called to Ontario Village where they found an SUV with extensive damage and the motionless bodies of Jovaun Middleton and Ashley Gongora.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“Initial investigation  has revealed that Mr. Middleton, along with Ms. Mejia, were traveling in the SUV from an east to west direction when Middleton is reported to have lost control of the vehicle as he approach a curve that is at the entrance of Ontario Village. This loss of control caused the vehicle to be overturned and resulted in the untimely demise of these two individuals.”

 

 

 

 Both people were rushed to the Western Regional Hospital where they were tragically pronounced dead on arrival. According to Middleton’s sister, De Shanne Middleton, this death has hit the family especially hard as they have already tragically lost another sibling.

 

On the Phone: De Shanne Middleton, Sister of Deceased

“When we lost my brother, it was completely devastating for our family. And now that we got in news with Jovan and in a traffic accident, it was another terrible deja vu type of moment because. We didn’t expect it. The day of, the Saturday Jovaun, we had an event actually for my son, it was his birthday and so we, we decided to go to my dad’s and just have a barbecue and everyone was having fun. Jovaun was there, dancing, playing games. Jovaun is someone that goes above and beyond and he actually drove all the way to Dangriga. He got to pick me up that day and he dropped me back off home that evening. And we said goodbyes and I didn’t know that was the last time I would see him.”

 

 

The vehicle was found with extensive damage, and the fire department was called to the scene to retrieve the bodies. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Stacy Smith, says a postmortem examination will determine whether alcohol was a factor in the incident.

 

 

 

ASP Stacy Smith

“It’s an ongoing investigation. Likewise, similar with the other incident. A part of the postmortem examination will include the extraction of blood work to make a determination as to whether alcohol may have been a factor in this incident.”

 

 

 

According to Middleton, Jovaun was well loved among his family and community. She describes him as being the life of every party and a good citizen.

 

On the Phone: De Shanne Middleton.

“Our family took it really hard because Jovaun is such a gentle, Jovaun is just one of the most humble person. Jovaun is respectful. He is the youngest that, that’s the only one after myself. So he’s the youngest child at twenty-seven. I’m actually thirty-five. He’s twenty-seven and he’s the youngest son. It has been such a, such a laugh because he is so jovial in a world where you find people that are always manipulative and cheating and scheming, and Jovan was just that different person.”

 

 

Following the couple’s deaths, residents are calling for better lighting along that stretch of highway. Meanwhile, authorities continue to urge caution when traveling at night. Britney Gordon for News Five.