With 6 dead and 18 injured, Thursday’s collision at mile 35 on the Western Highway is one of the worst we’ve ever seen on the road. The 6 dead are as follows: first, from the cargo truck, both sidemen, 23-year-old Gustavo Castillo, and 41 year old Elvis Gillett, he is the brother of BDF Commander Lloyd Gillett.
In the bus 4 more died, they are: 35-year-old Caye Caulker resident Emelita Gordon, 61 year old Belmopan resident, Cordelia Lamb, 26 year old U.S. national Kelly Richendollar, and an unidentified Guatemalan national. A 6-year-old received head injuries, a 7 year old received facial injuries and were reported to both be in critical condition.
As we said 18 more received varying level of injury but when we checked today many had been released form the hospital. One man who is still there is the bus driver Tyrone Gillett. He got a compound fracture in his leg and is at the Universal Hospital.
From his bed he told us that he saw the cargo truck coming on the slippery stretch at mile 35. He says it had just overtaken three vehicles in a line of four. But when it got to the fourth vehicle, he claims the driver saw his oncoming bus and had to pull back in. And that’s when he says driver Michael Escalante lost control.
Michael Escalante, Driver - National Transport
“When he swerved out I saw the truck started to spin, one big u-turn. The u-turn which it gave, the truck started to slide sideway. My bus was going about approximate speed of 25 to 35. He was coming sideways straight in front of the bus and he still hit me on his passenger side’s front wheel because he was across the road this way. As I swerved I heard bang, just that. I met myself outside.”
Jules Vasquez,
I spoke to a gentleman who was driving behind the cargo truck, you made impact with the cargo truck and he said that what he saw was that the cargo truck was going slow, too slow for him and he wanted to overtake but he couldn’t overtake because he saw an oncoming vehicle which is your bus and so he laid back and then he said he saw your bus starting to stray on the road, starting to lose control and go sideway.
Michael Escalante,
“That’s wrong. I maintained my speed. Like I told you, from I approached this spot which I know about, I maintained my low speed.”
Jules Vasquez,
All things considered, you have to be happy to be alive, 6 people died.
Michael Escalante,
“Yes I am sorry. I am so sorry. It could be all of us. The situation I see it in is that it could be anybody but that’s the best I could do. Sorry and I hope God is with whosoever died right and I myself, whosoever living.”
Jules Vasquez,
Do you think you have the coverage to jump into a bus and head out there again?
Michael Escalante,
“Of course.”
Phillip Jones, Operations Manager – National Transport
“Our main focus right now is to ensure that the customers that were on the bus that were involved in the injury get the best care possible. It is sad, my heart goes out to the family members and friends and everyone. It is so unfortunate Jules that such a accident happened but thank God that it wasn’t worse. We have an insurance policy at National that will cover all the individuals that were onboard. And we at National, we are also assisting the passengers who died, we are assisting the families with funeral arrangements and such.”
Jules Vasquez,
Liability is another issue. First of all while it’s not time for finger pointing but do you believe your driver was in the wrong?
Phillip Jones,
“I have spoken to some of the victims personally and they have told me what happened and their stories concur with the driver’s story. They also say that, I have spoken with three different victims that were here in Universal Health Care, everyday almost I check with them to see what was their reaction and what happened and occurred and they said that the truck lost control and up to that time they said the driver swerved and it could have been much worse.”
Police have not issued an official report yet on who is to blame. The driver of the cargo truck Michael Escalante survived with serious head and body injuries and is listed in a critical condition.
