SOUTHERN HIGHWAY, Stann Creek District, Sun. June 7, 2015–Four people are dead and three seriously injured after they were involved in four separate road traffic collisions. The persons who lost their lives as a result of these collisions are David McPherson, 32, of Sittee River; William Triguero, 28, of Sarawee, in the Stann Creek District; Isidoro “Charlie Card” Galvez, 73, of Hicattee, Toledo District; and Oscar Chacon, 57, of Burrell Boom, Belize District.

The common-law wife of one of the fatally injured men, Isidoro Galvez – Margarita Cal, 42, suffered injuries to her knees and is presently being treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).

Also in the KHMH is Lucita Chun, 26, of Hope Creek, Stann Creek District, who is recovering from a large cut wound to the head, and Marcos Coc, 35, of Big Falls, Toledo District, who is recovering at the Punta Gorda Hospital from head and body injuries.

The first tragic collision occurred when two motorcycles slammed into each other head-on at about 8:30 Thursday night. The incident occurred in an area between Miles 5 and 6 on the Stann Creek Valley Road.

David McPherson was travelling on his motorcycle from Sittee River to Dangriga and travelling with him was Lucita Chun.

Travelling in the opposite direction, from Dangriga to Sarawee, also on a motorcycle, was William Triguero. Reportedly, one of the motorcycle drivers lost control and hit the other motorcycle, and due to the impact, they were all hurled into the air, and they landed on the pavement.

Both men – McPherson and Triguero – suffered massive head and body injuries. They were rushed to the Dangriga Hospital, but were declared dead on arrival.

Chun is in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she was admitted in a critical but stable condition.

Police said that they are still not certain how the head-on collision occurred, and are awaiting the recovery of the only witness, Lucita Chun, so that she can provide them with a statement. However, police believe that speed was a contributing factor to the accident. Both motorcycles were badly damaged, and had been found facing each other, they said.

Reports are that McPherson had left Sittee on a journey to visit his family in Cayo, and was heading to Dangriga to buy gas for the trip when he became involved in the accident.

Triguero had just left Dangriga and was heading home to Sarawee.

The second tragedy occurred at about 12:30 yesterday afternoon, Saturday, in Sandhill, Belize District, at the junction of the Old Northern Highway and the Philip Goldson Highway.

Police say that Oscar Chacon, 57, of Burrell Boom was crossing the Philip Goldson Highway when he was hit by a SUV, and as a result, he suffered massive head and body injuries. He died on the spot.

Police reported that when they arrived on the scene, they saw Chacon’s lifeless body lying on the side of the road, with extensive head and body injuries.

Chacon was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

The driver of the SUV at the time was Kayir Benavidez, 30, of Liberty Avenue, Orange Walk Town.

Benavidez told police that he was driving his vehicle from Orange Walk to Belize City, when upon arriving at the junction of the Old Northern Highway and the Philip Goldson Highway in Sandhill, he saw a man run across the road from the left to the right side of the highway. The man, he said, stopped and suddenly ran back across the road to the left side again. The driver said that he tried to avoid hitting him, but could not do so.

Police said that Benavidez was issued with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.

Less than 13 hours after Chacon was hit, at about 11:30 Saturday night, June 6, police reported, Isidoro Galvez, AKA” Charlie Card,” 73, of Hicattee, Toledo District, was driving his vehicle from Punta Gorda to Hicattee when he lost control of it and it flipped over several times, landing with its four wheels up in the air.

Galvez was hurled out of the vehicle, landed on the pavement, and suffered massive head and body injuries as a result of the impact. He died immediately on the scene.

Traveling with him at the time was his common-law wife, Margarita Cal, 46, also of Hicattee, who was injured in her knees. She was rushed to the Punta Gorda Town Hospital, after which she was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, and was admitted to ward in a serious but stable condition.

Galvez’s body was then taken to the Punta Gorda Town Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The body has been taken to the morgue, where it is to undergo a post-mortem exam to certify the cause of his death.

Reports are that Galvez and Cal were travelling home from Punta Gorda after attending a graduation ceremony.

Isidoro Galvez’s death is yet another devastating blow to the Galvez family. The Galvez family is still mourning the death of Galvez’s daughter, Rosalie Galvez, who was shot and killed by an unknown gunman while travelling in a vehicle with her common-law husband, Russell Hyde, at about 5:00 Sunday evening, May 17.

The incident occurred at the roundabout being constructed by the Guanacaste Park near the Roaring Creek River Bridge on the George Price Highway.

Eleven hours after Galvez’s death, at about 10:30 yesterday morning, Marcus Coc, of Big Falls, Toledo District, was riding his bicycle in the village when he was knocked down by a vehicle near the Big Falls Bridge.

He suffered head and body injuries and was taken to the Punta Gorda Hospital in a serious but stable condition. Witnesses in the area reported that he was bleeding from the head, and that the bicycle he had been riding was broken in half.

Police have launched an investigation into this collision.

Police continue to remind drivers to drive with care at all times.