Rising Football Star and Brother Perish in Road Accident

Tonight, heartbreak grips the village of Bella Vista, where a family is mourning the devastating loss of two siblings. David and Sidney Montenegro were tragically killed in a road traffic accident over the weekend. The pair had just been enjoying a swim in Medina Bank when their journey home took a fatal turn. The vehicle they were in veered off the road and crashed into a roadside drain. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. A third passenger, Asucion Tush, survived and was rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital for treatment. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the details.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

What started as a joyful Saturday outing ended in heartbreak when siblings David and Sidney Montenegro were killed in a car accident. The two had spent the day swimming in Medina Bank with David’s former high school teacher, Asucion Tush. But on their way home, things took a tragic turn. According to police, the driver lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and crashed into a ditch. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith is expected to share more details as the investigation continues.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“This accident resulted in the death of siblings Sidney Montenegro, twenty-one years of age, and Juan David Montenegro, twenty years of age, as well as the injury of Mr. Asucion to when police responded to the scene of the incident. A brown in color, pickup truck was observed. So far, the investigation has revealed. That the vehicle containing the occupants and being driven by Juan was heading from Medina Bank towards Bella Vista Village, where upon arriving at the aforementioned location, the driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to flip several times the scene of the accident has been processed and an inspection is slated to be carried out on the vehicle to ascertain.”

 

Reporter

“What, if any, clarity it can provide in relation to the cause of the accident?”

 

ASP Stacy Smith

“We do not have any clear indication of that so far. However, we can confirm that alcohol bottles were seen were viewed on the scene.”

 

The crash happened at mile fifty-one on the Thomas Vincent Highway, just a short drive from the Montenegro family’s home in Bella Vista. At the time, Ninoska Montenegro and her husband were relaxing at home, completely unaware that their world was about to change. Then came the devastating call: their children had been in a terrible accident.

 

Ninoska Montenegro, Mother of Deceased

“I got off my motorcycle. I was scared and nervous. I felt like someone threw a bucketful of cold water over me.” 

 

As soon as they heard the news, Ninoska Montenegro and her husband rushed to the crash site. What they found was every parent’s worst fear—Sidney, David, and their teacher, Asucion Tush, lying outside a wrecked pickup truck. Tush was still alive and was quickly taken to the Southern Regional Hospital for treatment. But for Sidney and David, it was already too late. They were pronounced dead at the scene. What makes this even more heartbreaking, David had just graduated high school the day before. He was the first of four siblings to reach that milestone.

 

Ninoska Montenegro

“He was such a happy one, like his name, Juan David; he was a Don Juan, and girls loved him and he always aspired to do better. .”

 

David Montenegro had plans to return to Costa Rica, to study civil engineering, a step toward building a better future for himself and his family. His sister, Sidney, was already making waves in Belize’s football scene. Since 2023, she had been a standout player for the Sagitun Girlz, earning praise for her skill and determination. The Football Federation of Belize even recognized her as a rising star, and she was set to represent the country in the upcoming Central American Football Union tournament this July. Her mother shared that no matter how many knocks or injuries Sidney took on the field, she never wanted to quit. Football was her passion, and she gave it everything she had.

 

Ninoska Montenegro

“She cried and begged me to allow her to continue playing football. She told me, Mom, I don’t give you any issues with boyfriends, drugs, or anything like that, all i ask is to please allow me to continue playing.”

 

On the day of the incident, David and Sidney had met up with group of friends to go swimming. Before leaving, Ninoska encouraged them to remain safe, as she typically did. She never imagined that would be the last time she’d see her two children alive.

 

Ninoska Montenegro

“Whether it was David who was driving or the owner of the vehicle, the responsibility is always on the owner of the vehicle because David did not have a license. I don’t have a problem if there’s a good teacher-student relationship, but I consider that it is not appropriate to have those types of relationships outside of the institutions..”

 

Ninoska Montenegro says her children made mistakes just like everyone else, but still deserved to come home to their family at the end of the day.

 

Ninoska Montenegro

“They were dynamic kids, happy and fun. Yes, they made mistakes, and they had their mischievous phase in their adolescence, but we always managed to get through it together.”

 

In the wake of their heartbreaking loss, the Montenegro family is speaking out. They’re now advocating for safer roads across Belize and urging everyone to buckle up, no matter how short the trip. Their message is simple but powerful: seatbelts save lives. Britney Gordon for News Five.

 

More details to come as the investigation continues.