Victim’s body was flung about 54 feet from the bus

A villager who was making a routine trip to a nearby shop met a tragic end this past Saturday after he veered into the path of an oncoming commuter bus that was traveling in the opposite direction.

The victim – who was riding a bicycle at the time – was hit and died instantly after he was violently flung into the air and landed a distance away from the vehicle before it reached a halt on the right hand side of the road.

The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 p.m. near Mile 19 on the Philip Goldson Highway, and Rural Executive Officer Assistant Superintendent Christopher Noble, who was on the scene within minutes of the fatal traffic accident, gave reporters an initial account of the incident, while urging drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to be careful on the road, especially as we approach the long Easter weekend.

Noble confirmed that a man had lost his life as a result of the collision, and went on to explain that in the passenger bus at the time of the accident were only two persons – the driver and one person accompanying him in a northward journey. “We do know that the deceased may have been on a bicycle and we are looking into what may have caused his death,” Noble said. He went on to state, “We are looking at a traffic fatality and we are asking people to be careful on the road. If you are traveling on a bus, make sure you have something that will be clear to anybody approaching you, clear to any vehicle approaching you, and see how best you can be careful on this road.”

According to subsequent police reports, Ladyville police visited Mile 19 ½ on the Philip Goldson Highway on Saturday, April 12 at around 8:16 p.m. and upon their arrival, they saw a maroon and silver Tillett’s Bus with license plate OW-D4454 parked on the right hand side of the road facing the direction of Orange Walk with damage to the front portion and windshield.

Police said that about 54 feet away from the bus, the body of a dark-complexioned male person – later identified as Raymond Allen Sedacy – was seen lying on the highway.

Further investigations revealed that the bus driver, Rafael Murillos, 32, was traveling north in the direction of Orange Walk Town when he collided with Sedacy, who was apparently riding his blue beach cruiser bicycle across the highway.

Sedacy died on the spot after sustaining several head and bodily injuries.

Amandala spoke to Sedacy’s sister, who did not wish to provide her name, but told us that “T-Bug”, as he was commonly known, had just left home on his way to the shop when he was knocked down.

She said, “I was inside my house watching a movie when a man came and hollered for my mother and my mom came out and asked, ‘What happened?’ The man was holding his head and my mother asked him again. He then said, ‘T-Bug get knocked down’ and my mother ran out to where it happened. When we got out there, the bus was parked on the roadside and he [T-Bug] was lying in the bushes.”

Sedacy’s sister stated that an eyewitness mentioned to her that the bus was traveling at a high speed and its headlights were also dim when it collided with Sedacy, who was riding on the left side of the highway.

Sedacy’s anguished sister also noted that the area where her brother was knocked down is an often dark and poorly lit stretch of road, and that she has lost two other relatives, an uncle and a cousin, as a result of similar fatal road traffic accidents in that same vicinity.

Another area resident with whom we spoke cited that he has lived at Mile 19 ½ for the past 20 years, and since then he has witnessed at least 12 fatal traffic accidents occur in that same area.

As we understand it, Sedacy was attempting to turn back to meet one of his friends who was riding in the opposite direction.

We were told that Sedacy’s friend, who was riding some distance away, was also hit in the head with a wheel that flew off Sedacy’s bike after his collision with the passenger bus.

Although his relatives were not sure of his exact age, they said that Sedacy was in his late forties.

Sedacy’s sister described him as a calm person who lived alone with no children, but liked to help others and usually ran errands for his friends and neighbors.

His family told us that they are hoping to meet with the bus company to find out if the company can assist them with the funeral expenses for Sedacy.

Police have since detained the bus driver, Rafael Murillos, and has served him with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.