Montenegro Siblings Die in Crash While Returning Home

Police are investigating a fatal road traffic accident that claimed the lives of two siblings and left one man hospitalised on Sunday evening near Bladden Village, Toledo District.

The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. between Miles 62 and 63 on the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway. Police reported arriving at the scene to find a brown Wingle pickup truck overturned in a roadside drain. Initial reports indicate the vehicle was heading from Medina Bank to Bella Vista when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to flip.

21-year-old Sidney Montenegro Ruiz and her brother, 20-year-old David Luis Montenegro, were found unresponsive at the scene and were later pronounced dead at Southern Regional Hospital. Reports are that Sidney was found motionless near the crash, indicating she had been flung out of the vehicle during the incident.

Travelling with them was 42-year-old teacher Asucion Tush of Independence Village. He sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.

The Montenegro siblings had spent the day swimming at the Bladen River and were returning home to Bella Vista Village. They were originally from Costa Rica and had settled in Belize. Sidney Montenegro was known to be a standout footballer after joining Rumberas and then Sagitun Girlz in 2023. The team won the Premier Women’s League of Belize championship on 31 May. The win qualified them to represent Belize at the upcoming UNCAF tournament in July.

Images from the crash site show the vehicle with its roof crushed in and extensive damage to the body.