_{Photo: Michael McKenzie, deceased}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 25, 2024

On Wednesday, July 25, Orion Michael McKenzie, 36, of Belize City was hit by a bus as he attempted to cross the street on his motorcycle on East Canal Street, and he passed away hours later.

According to reports, McKenzie was en route to work around 8:20 that morning, and he was crossing the intersection of East Canal Street and King Street when he was struck from the left side by a bus driven by 44-year-old Yadir Perez of Corozal. Reports are indicating that McKenzie was flung off his motorcycle onto a nearby cement wall and hit a taco vendor. He lay there at the corner of the street until he was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he passed away a few hours later.

Felipe Cowo, 44, a San Antonio Village (Toledo) resident who was a passenger on McKenzie’s motorcycle when the accident occurred, survived the incident and is reportedly in stable condition.

It is being alleged that McKenzie failed to stop at the stop sign and attempted to cross the intersection, which caused Perez to crash into him.

While it is being reported that Perez had the right-of-way, the brother of the deceased, Darren Benguche, noted to media outlets that Perez should have stopped the bus upon seeing McKenzie, who had almost fully made it across the intersection when the back wheel of his motorcycle was reportedly clipped by the bus.

Benguche explained that his brother had been riding motorcycles for a long time, and most of the jobs he has had required use of the motorbike.

Perez reportedly was served with a notice of intended prosecution.