In another fatal traffic accident, this one at Mile 42 on the Hummingbird Highway, Elmer Elvis “Vinny” Hamilton, 32, a father of six children and a boat captain of Belize City, lost his life about 10 hours after losing control of his motorcycle on the slippery road on Saturday evening, February 11.
Hamilton succumbed to his injuries a few minutes after arriving at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) on Sunday at approximately 3:40 a.m. He was first taken to the Belmopan Western Regional Hospital for surgery, then later transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City.
Hamilton’s family was not aware that he had been in a traffic accident until it was too late.
Hamilton had just finished eating a plate of seré which his mother, Bernadine Hamilton, had made for him. He was en route to Dangriga Town shortly after 5:52 p.m. when he lost control of his motorcycle.
Hamilton always wore his helmet, his family told us, but despite the helmet, he sustained a cut to the forehead. The helmet had apparently been torn off his head during the crash.
According to Hamilton’s family, a motorist stopped to render aid and transported Hamilton to the Belmopan Western Regional Hospital, where he underwent a 6-hour surgery. The family told us that Hamilton had identification cards along with his cell phone still on his person, and despite that, they were unaware of his accident until Sunday morning.
The family told us that they wanted so badly to spend his last moments with him, by his side, holding him in their arms.
The family told us that when he arrived at the KHMH from the Belmopan Hospital, and after the nurse was able to take him out of the ambulance and rush him into the emergency room, he was pronounced dead.
Bernadine told us, “My son was a very nice person, a loving father to his six kids, and everything for him was his children. He always told me, ‘Mommy, I am living for you and my children.’
“He was a very nice young man; once he has it and you don’t have it, he will make sure you have. He always teaches his little brothers that you have to strive for what you want.
“It’s so sad that his life got cut short due to a traffic accident.”