_{Photo: Bernard Staine, deceased}

by Charles Gladden

CAYO DISTRICT, Mon. July 15, 2024

In another article in this week’s edition of Amandala, we reported that seven persons had lost their lives due to vehicular traffic accidents. However, that total has increased to eight as a man from western Belize was hit and killed in the early hours of Sunday, July 14, on the George Price Highway.

According to reports, 59-year-old Bernard Staine, a resident of Frank’s Eddy Village, Cayo District, was reportedly riding an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) around 1:00 a.m., when police officer Francis Rodriguez of St. Matthews Village, who was driving his Toyota 4Runner from Belize City, collided with him.

Rodriguez was approaching Harmonyville near Mile 41 on the highway, when he reportedly saw Staine parked in the middle of the road. Rodriguez said he attempted to swerve his vehicle to avoid colliding with Staine but failed, resulting in him causing injuries to Staine who fell to the pavement and perished.

The Belize Police Department has yet to issue any comment.