by Charles Gladden

BELMOPAN, Mon. Sept. 18, 2023

A San Ignacio resident lost his life on Friday night, September 15, when the vehicle he was driving crashed in Belmopan at the roundabout on the Hummingbird Highway which connects to Constitution Drive near Blue Moon Restaurant.

According to initial reports, the victim, Esvin Damian, a 30-year-old carpenter, was driving an F-150 pickup truck from the direction of A&R sometime around 11:00 p.m. on Friday at extreme speed, and when he arrived at the roundabout, he lost control of his vehicle due to a hole in the ground, and as a result the vehicle flipped multiple times before crashing on the side of the roundabout leading to La Cabana. Damian died at the scene due to the injuries he sustained.

Reports are also suggesting that, while reportedly under the influence of alcohol, Damian had passed a police checkpoint which is situated at the speedbump in front of Belmopan Comprehensive School.

However, when local reporters asked ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division, whether Damian was stopped at the checkpoint, he said he did not know of those reports.

“If he had been stopped, then yes, he should have been arrested and dealt with; but again, I cannot confirm that that transpired. We are looking into it to verify what in fact occurred,” he said.

There is yet no confirmation whether the now-deceased Damian was indeed under the influence of alcohol moments before he perished, but ACP Romero explained that the Belize Police Department is waiting for the results of a post-mortem to confirm such reports.

Damian leaves behind a wife of over a year and a son.