We all know about the tragic road accident two weeks ago at mile 35 on the Western Highway when a National Transport Bus collided into a cargo truck. But two weeks before that accident, there was another bus accident on that same stretch of the Western Highway near mile 35. No one was killed and it didn’t make headlines but three members of a family were injured and they say insult is being added to their injuries because National Transport has turned its back on them. Our team traveled to Cotton Tree Village to hear their story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This was how 37-year-old Rose Williams looked after the National Transport Bus she was in flipped twice on the Western Highway on September 11th. As you can see – around her eyes are badly bruised and her face is swollen. The girl behind her with the cast on her right hand is Williams’ 14-year-old stepdaughter Quincella Murillo. Also injured in the accident was Williams’ daughter 21 year old Shirlet Stevens.
Today, three weeks later, the family is back at their home in Cotton Tree Village. The bruises are gone but Rose Williams’ forehead is still notably swollen, Shirlet Stevens has problems walking, and Quincella –who is in standard six – has problems writing.
Rose Williams, Accident Victim
“Right now I got headache, bad headache, honestly. When I go to sleep at night I have bad headache and when I go to sleep at night I have bad headache.”
Shirlet Stevens, Accident Victim
“I start experience pain on my right foot and I couldn’t walk on it for two weeks because it had torn up the ligaments. My foot, I can’t pressure it because the vein they gets swell and I can’t walk on it good. I don’t know what it is and I have to rest. I can’t walk far because it got swollen up.”
Quincella Murillo, Accident Victim
“It had my hand fractured and every night I have headache.”
Keith Swift,
Are you still in pain?
Quincella Murillo,
“I am not fully recovered because at night I still have the headache but every time I write at school I still feel the shock in my bone.”
Rose Williams and her daughters boarded the bus here at this bus stop located at mile 43 on the Western Highway. There were no other passengers on the bus but the driver did allow them on it and it was 15 minutes into their journey to Belize when the accident occurred.
Shirlet Stevens,
“He stopped for us, even though it was marked National Transport and he asked us if we were gong to
Belize and we said but we weren’t thinking why the bus was empty. We just
got on and it was raining and he was driving hard and by the time we reached by mile 35 or 36 by the smooth part, the bus just started to slide and there I just remember grabbing Miss Rose and I screamed out because we didn’t expect that to happen and the bus just flipped and from there I went blank.”
The family was taken to the hospital and all three were treated and released. They filed a police report – which this letter from Assistant Commissioner Crispin Jeffries confirms. But according to the family –National Transport is acting as if it never happened.
Shirlet Stevens,
“When he called we back he said he doesn’t know us, his insurance says they can’t do nothing for us, nothing and they don’t know about any accident so it is just like that he told us. Just like that.”
“It’s not fair to us because our life was going well and that just happen and wreck our lives again and now we are afraid to go on bus. I just want him to assist him because it is not a joke to go everyday to Belmopan and to go hospital. You don’t have money and then when you call him, he tells you something and by then the next time it is something different so I just really want him to help us.”
But more than acknowledgement – this family wants and needs assistance.
Rose Williams,
“We need help at least for the accident, the up and down on the bus, we have to go see doctor. Right now I don’t know if I have to go and really see a doctor for my back, a better doctor than the hospital in Belmopan.”
Quincella Murillo,
“I was really frightened, right now I am even afraid to ride bus. I don’t want to ride bus because the last time it almost ran off the road with us again and that’s why I don’t want to ride bus. That is why I am afraid to ride the bus.”
Keith Swift,
What do you want to tell Mr. Novelo?
Quincella Murillo,
“Let him think back because we could have lost our lives right there and he wouldn’t have known. Look how many times we’ve gone to them, and they turn us down.”
The police report provided to the family says they are investigating. National Transport’s Operations Manager Phillip Jones says he isn’t personally handling the accident but invites the family to visit him at his office.
