_{Photo: Oscar Alexander Galindo, charged}

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 8, 2024

Tonight, a construction worker of Pitter Street is out on bail, while the body of a teenager is lying at the KHMH morgue pending a post-mortem examination after she died as a result of a fatal traffic accident over the weekend.

19-year-old Denia Ashanti Rowland, a Belizean call center agent of Lords Bank, Ladyville, died on impact early Saturday morning, April 6, 2024, after the driver of the vehicle she was in reportedly lost control of it and it flipped several times. As a result, Rowland was flung out of the vehicle and hit the pavement where she reportedly died on impact.

This morning after 9:00, Ladyville Police escorted 20-year-old Oscar Alexander Galindo, a construction worker of #6 Pitter Street, in handcuffs to be read four traffic offenses in connection with Rowland’s fatal traffic death.

Galindo, who was represented in court by attorney Norman Moore, appeared before a Senior Magistrate in Court #2 where he was read four counts – one count of manslaughter by negligence; one count of causing death by careless conduct; drove motor vehicle with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit; and negligent grievous harm upon Glenford Dougal.

There was no objection to bail being offered to Galindo, and so the sitting Senior Magistrate of Court #2 offered him bail in the sum of $6,000 plus one surety, or two sureties of $3,000 each, which he met.

Conditional to Galindo’s bail is that he reports to the Racoon Street Police Station every two weeks when he comes into the city, since he claims he works out at a caye and only comes to the city every two weeks.

Oscar Alexander Galindo’s next court date is set for June 7, 2024.

According to the police report, on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at about 2:59 a.m., information was received from Ladyville Police of a fatal traffic accident between Miles 17 and 18 on the Philip Goldson Highway.

Upon the arrival of Cpl# 233 M. Chub and other police officers at the scene, they saw an extensively damaged gold 2-door Ford Ranger pick-up truck on the left side of the highway facing a southerly direction, and a female was seen lying on the road in an unconscious state.

The police’s initial investigation revealed that earlier that same day, the Ford Ranger pick-up was being driven by Oscar Galindo, and he was in the company of 3 others – Wilson Larios, 24, a construction worker of Holy Emmanuel Street, who was seated in the front passenger seat; Glenford Dougal, 19, a construction worker of #34 Santa Harris Street, Belize City, who was in the back seat on the passenger’s side; and also on the back seat, on the driver’s side, was Denia Rowland, a call center agent of Lords Bank Village.

The group were travelling from the direction of Sandhill Village and heading towards Ladyville when upon reaching between Miles 17 and 18 on the Philip Goldson Highway, Galindo lost control of the vehicle and it flipped several times, and as a result, Rowland was flung from the vehicle and on impact landed on the shoulder of the highway.

At the scene, police said the driver identified himself as Oscar Galindo, and there was a strong aroma of alcohol coming from his breath.

Galindo was detained, while the body of Rowland was taken to the KHMH where at 6:39 a.m. she was pronounced dead by a doctor.

At the station, Galindo voluntarily agreed to give police a urine sample.