SPANISH LOOKOUT, Cayo District, Sun. Aug. 25, 2019– Corporal Lenard Puc, 35, of Santa Familia, who was attached to Belize City police, was driving his car on Center Road from Spanish Lookout to Santa Familia at about 6:30 yesterday evening when he lost control of the vehicle, which collided with an oncoming pickup. The car flipped and overturned several times.
Traveling with Puc at the time was a relative of his, Manuel Cabb, 44, also of Santa Familia. As a result of the car flipping and overturning several times, they both suffered massive head and body injuries, and were trapped in the car wreck.
Firemen and first responders of Spanish Lookout rushed to the scene of the accident, and the car was cut so that Cabb and Puc could be removed from the wreckage. Manuel Cabb was declared dead on the scene, and Puc was declared dead on arrival at the Western Regional Hospital.
Police said that the pickup into which Puc collided was being driven by Oscar Rivero, 37, who was accompanied by his son, 3. They both suffered injuries and were also taken to the Western Regional Hospital. They have been declared to be in a stable condition.
Information to us is that while driving on the Center Road, Puc went up a hill and there was a sudden turn, which he negotiated, but the car swerved across the road and into the lane of the oncoming pickup. Police said that on their arrival on the scene, they saw both vehicles extensively damaged.
On taking command of the Police Department in February, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said that road traffic collisions were a leading cause of deaths in Belize, and called on drivers to drive with care on the roads and highways, and to observe speed limits. He said that the police would carry out patrols on the roads and stop drivers whom they observed to be speeding.
On his Facebook page, Corporal Lenard Puc had mentioned that he attended overseas training sessions in the United States and he had also participated in anti-gang training.
Corporal Lenard Puc is survived by his parents and his wife. He is also survived by a host of relatives, friends and his colleagues from the Belize Police Department. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.