On The morning of February second, a mother and daughter were killed in a massive collision at mile eight on the Western Highway. Since then, we’ve visited with Jihad Ahmad, the 13 year old who was very seriously injured but somehow survived. And while we did our follow up, the family of the deceased Carolyn Rowland and her eight year old daughter claims the police have not. Over a month has passed and no charges have been laid. Now this grieving family fears that their chance at justice may be slipping away. Jacqueline Godwin visited with them today.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Fourteen year old Tyra Monique Jones is still unable to get around without the use of the walker. The first form student of Nazarene High School was in the front passenger seat next to her mother Carolyn Rowland when the family’s Ford Explorer crashed killing instantly Tyra’s mom. Eight year old sister Twyla Jones died shortly after arriving at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Since that tragic day on the morning of February second the police have still been unable to determine exactly what transpired or who is responsible.
In fact Tyra says the police have yet to get a statement from her about what transpired after all from the three survivors from the SUV she is the only one who did not lose consciousness throughout the ordeal and for the first time today publicly spoke about what she saw and what she believed caused the accident.
Tyra Monique Jones, Crash Survivor
“It was raining hard and then my mom was driving and we just saw this morning swerving into us and my mom tried to swerve but he didn’t try to do anything and then he ran into we. As we reached nearly in front of us he tried to swerve and then my mom swerved out from him to go the next side and then he just swung into the side of my mother.”
Tyra claims Edward Martinez was driving fats and did nothing to get out of their way. Tyra says her mom was not driving fast at the time of the when the Dodge Ram collided into them. But the vehicle’s driver Edward Martinez, who is also speaking out for the first time about the accident, suffered multiple bone fractures is presently confined to a wheel chair.
Edward Martinez, Crash Survivor
“I have pain going into bed, I have pain moving, I have to move one
side of my body to match the next side. I have 46 centimeters of steel in me. I have another surgery after this because they have to remove the steel also. I believe that with the grace of God I will walk again but it is taking long and I have to go through the process. I have a lot of friends that give me their support and in a situation like this, especially when you always used to be walking and you can’t walk no more for whatever space of time it may be, you need some support.”
Edward says although he truly regrets the loss of life of Carolyn Rowland and Twyla Jones he is not responsible. In fact he told us that the Ford Explorer had just overtaken a bus but that the SUV did not get back into its right lane instead it kept in the left lane and into the path of his oncoming vehicle.
Edward Martinez,
“She was moving fast and I noticed that she wasn’t getting over to her side. I then shouldered my vehicle because she was coming on a rapid
speed. By the time I shouldered my vehicle off the edge of the road and turned to straighten out, her vehicle was already inside of mine. That is a tremendous amount of speed and the road wasn’t good anyway. Water was all over the place, it was raining hard.
The amount of speed that vehicle was moving for what reason it may be, I don’t know if they were late going somewhere or something like that, it should not have taken place in the first place. I blow my horn over and over and she did not get on her side of the road.”
Edward Martinez says as per normal procedure the police have served him with a notice of intended prosecution for the charge only of driving without due care and attention. But that is no consolation to Delvorine Ellis who is now left to care for her two grandchildren. Delvorine says she is not pleased with the crash investigation and the fact that the police have yet to speak with her granddaughter who she says is not only a survivor but a critical eyewitness.
Delvorine Ellis, Grandmother of Crash Victims
“She never unconscious or anything. The big girl who was in the front seat with her mother, she know everything; she see everything. Look how much thing happen after the second of February and you hear police the investigate this and watch what happened with this. They just push my daughter aside like she was a subordinate class or something I don’t know what. She was just a strong single mother striving for excellence for herself, her children, and me.”
Tyra Monique Jones,
“I disappointed because it was two of them and things that happened after the 2nd of February police the investigate and they haven’t investigated my mom and my sister death and from a long time the policeman said he is to come take statement but he hasn’t come yet. I want the policeman and take the statement and make them deal with this case the right way because if he is wrong, he wrong. And when we were in the hospital, he asked one of the BERT lady if she brought me down and the lady said yes and asked why. He said because I wish I could be a good driver like you because I am just learning to drive.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Who said this?
Tyra Monique Jones,
“The same man who crashed into we.”
Edward Martinez,
“My dear I’ve been driving for well over 15 years, well over 15 years and the records will show I have never had an accident yet, except for this one. If she said she overheard me saying that I am just learning to drive, something is wrong.”
It has been hard for ten year old Toriyeh and fourteen year old Tyra who not only lost their only surviving parent just over a month ago but two years ago the sisters dad Michael Jones also died.
Tyra Monique Jones,
“I think about my mom because I don’t see her around and I done used to her talking all kinds of things but she isn’t around.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And if it is hard on you, I can imagine it must be horrible on your ten year old sister. How is she dealing with this tragedy?
Tyra Monique Jones,
“She tek it hard.”
It is not certain when Tyra Monique Jones will be well enough to return to school.
Tyra Monique Jones,
“I scrape up my leg and my leg bone broke and I got two stitches in my knee and fifteen from the surgery I got in my leg.”
Delvorine Ellis,
“I will not let this matter rest until I get justice. I am pleading to the higher authority, higher than that policeman who is dealing with the case to let them see the type of things we are living in Belize; injustice.”
Edward Martinez,
“Accidents of such magnitude, anybody with feelings will have some remorse to it. Let me explain that remorse though. I am not saying I have remorse because I am at fault or anything. A life was taken. Given it was her life or not it was still a life. I believe maybe they need to implement stricter road rules or something of the sort.”
When 7News contacted the police they would only tell us that the crash remains under investigation. Jacqueline Godwin for 7News.
Up until the time of her untimely death, Carolyn Rowland worked during the day as a traffic warden and in the night as a domestic at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. On February ninth, we visited with the Jihad Ahmad and found him out of the intensive care unit. Ahmad’s road to recovery will be long as he suffered multiple fractures to his face and he still has many more surgeries to do.
