The traffic investigation into the death of Ralph Fonseca Jr. in a road accident yesterday is being treated as a sensitive, high priority case by Orange Walk Police. As we've reported Fonseca Jr., known as Ralphy, was killed along with his friend Ralph Balderamos Jr. as both men sat in the front of a Toyota Prado that collided with an unhitched trailer. The two men who survived, Fonseca sidemen Haldane Stevens and Eugene Webster are in the Universal Hospital with multiple injuries. Today we went to Orange Walk, and back to the scene of the accident to see what happened. We begin at the Orange Walk Police Station where the driver of the truck that was hauling the trailer is still detained.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
This afternoon 33-year-old San Jose Palmar resident Alberto Chan was taken to witness the police and Transport Department examination of the trailer, which collided with Ralph Fonseca Jr.'s Prado yesterday. It happened here between miles 51 and 52 - about a mile north of the Tower Hill Bridge at the BSI junction.
At a few minutes to four, 32-year-old Ralph Balderamos was at the wheel and driving towards Belize. This moving truck towing this trailer - with these
lengths of construction rods - was heading in the opposite direction. Just as the two vehicles were passing each other, the trailer became unhitched from this tow-ball and lurched into the lane of oncoming traffic, launching forward directly into the windshield of the Toyota Prado. It is believed that it came at them so quickly there is little Balderamos could have done to avoid it. The point of the trailer smashed right
through the windshield and into 33-year-old Ralph Fonseca Jr. The massive impact completely demolished the Prado and pinned driver Balderamos, and the two men in the back, 33 year old Haldane "Pressho" Stevens and 41-year-old Eugene "Fatback" Webster.
When cameras arrived at the scene, emergency teams were trying to get out the two men in the back, prying the vehicle open, here's one of them getting off in an ambulance. Driver Alberto Chan looked on, consoled by a friend.
To get out the bodies of Ralph Fonseca Jr. and Ralph Balderamos would prove much more difficult. Here, they've chained a bus to the Prado to try and pry it open - later a tractor did the same. That didn't work, and here is an hydraulic cutter being used to free up the top of the vehicle. After about one and a half hours, they opened to vehicle to get out the bodies of both men - put them in a pickup truck and headed for the Orange Walk morgue. Between the impact and the cutting, this is what was left of the Prado.
After that, a piece of equipment known as a tractorvator was brought from BSI to try and remove the Prado and the trailer. When that didn't work, a winch truck had to be used to hoist it up and unto the bed. Both the trailer and the Prado were hauled away. This afternoon that trailer - and just what went wrong with the tow hitch was the subject of Police and Transport Department questioning. They also looked at the tow-ball on the U-Haul truck. The hitch
was still in a locked position but the tow ball was loose. Chan was made to watch as transport officers checked this out. Chan is expected to remain in custody for at least 24 hours more until police prepare charges.
Supt. Robert Mariano,
"At this time all I can say is that he matter is under investigation and the police will be taking the case file to the DPP tomorrow. The investigating officer has been directed by me to ensure that he be at the DPP's office by 8 am so hopefully by midday tomorrow, we will be getting a directive from the DPP and a decision will be made."
Funeral services for Ralph Fonseca Jr. will be held on Friday while Ralph Balderamos will have his funeral in Orlando. Balderamos lives in Florida and was visiting for his birthday which passed on Sunday. As for Fonseca's sidemen: they are both in serious condition.
The more seriously hurt is Eugene 'Fatback' Webster: he has two broken legs, both with compound fractures and a broken hip. Haldane Wallace Stevens, known as Preesho, is reported to have broken cheekbones, a broken nose and a broken jaw. As we noted in the story, Alberto Chan is expected to be charged tomorrow. It should be noted that when hauling trailers, a safety chain is always recommended, but only required by law for the hauling of logs.
