SOUTHERN HIGHWAY, Fri. Nov. 27, 2015–Emerson Lloyd Burke, 44, of Belmopan, a former DFC chief appraiser, who subsequently became a real estate appraiser and businessman, died in a road traffic accident on the Southern Highway at about 6:00 this morning between Miles 33 and 34, in the Machaca Creek area.

Reports are that Burke was travelling from Belmopan to Punta Gorda Town in his pickup and upon arriving in the Machaca Creek area, he lost control of the pickup and slammed into the road guard rails, causing a rail to dislodge. The forward movement of the vehicle then pushed the dislodged rail into the front portion of the vehicle, causing Burke to be hurled out of the vehicle.

He suffered massive head and body injuries when he landed on the road, and died on the scene.

Independence police said that on their arrival on the scene, they saw Burke lying face-up on the ground about eight feet from the driver’s door of his black Toyota Tundra two-door extra cab pickup, which had crashed into the guard rail on the left hand side of the road.

Burke’s right foot was crushed.

Burke became known to the public in August 2006 when he testified during a public inquiry into alleged improprieties (including misappropriation of funds) that were committed at the Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

In his testimony, Burke stated that while he was the chief appraiser at the institution, there were happenings inside the DFC that he had no knowledge of.