Two Killed, Several Injured in RTA’s Over the Weekend

Police are investigating a fatal road traffic accident in Ontario Village, Cayo District, that claimed the lives of two young residents early Sunday morning.

The crash happened around 2 a.m. when a car driven by Jovan Middleton, 27, hit a culvert and overturned. Middleton died on the spot. His passenger, Ashley Mejia, 27,  was critically injured and succumbed to her injuries shortly after.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Meanwhile, there were two other road traffic incidents in the Cayo District over the weekend.

On Saturday night, two motorcyclists were injured in a collision in Teakettle Village. Both men were taken to the hospital for treatment. Their conditions are not yet known.

Another accident occurred in Belmopan, involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck. The motorcyclist was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital for emergency care. In video footage from the scene, bystanders can be heard alleging that the driver of the vehicle appeared intoxicated, saying, “Drunk driver, drunk driver, look at the motorcycle underneath the vehicle.”

In response to the growing number of crashes, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Transport, Chester Williams, said the ministry is “deeply concerned about the amount of fatal traffic accidents occurring on our highways involving motorcycles.” He called the trend “alarming considering their frequency and seriousness.”

Williams said the ministry is working with the Belize Police Department to strengthen highway patrols, checkpoints, and officer training. He added that “stricter proposed laws” have already been approved by Cabinet and will be presented in the House of Representatives this month.

Williams stressed that laws alone will not fix the problem. “It will require the dedicated and committed efforts of all road users in adherence to the law,” he said.