And like the Escalante family, the Vanzie family is also mourning the loss of a loved one. 25-year-old Arita Vanzie was involved in a high speed traffic accident last night. Now her family and friends are left to grieve the vibrant young woman. Her distraught father told the media that his daughter was well loved and will be missed by everyone who knew her. Courtney Menzies has that report.
Ari Vanzie Sr., Father of Deceased
"This is a difficult thing, there is nothing like this you can ever imagine that you would see your daughter in the morning and by the night time she's gone, just seeing her in the morgue in a body bag having to identify her, it's just nerve boggling trying to comprehend all of that."
Those were the words spoken by Ari Vanzie, father of 25-year-old Arita Vanzie. Arita was travelling with some friends from Roaring Creek to Dangriga Town when, near mile 3 on the Hummingbird Highway, the driver, 21-year-old Damien Usher, lost control of the Chevy Impala. It careened into a ditch and then rammed into a culvert. Arita, who may have not been wearing a seatbelt was flung unto the highway where she suffered serious head injury
The four passengers were all rushed to the hospital, but Arita passed away while receiving treatment. Her father summoned the strength to recall the terrifying moment he learned of her death.
Voice of: Ari Vanzie Sr., Father of Deceased
"The first person that got the news was my son, he lives in Dangriga, Arita had left from home with some friends so go to Dangriga and so he received the news first that she was involved in an accident, we were not aware to the extent, or the seriousness of the accident. He proceeded to the Southern Regional Hospital and from there got more information and immediately called me, I was at that time at work in Placencia and so he told me that Arita was in an accident and she might have had some internal injuries and needed some blood donation. I, being a blood donor myself, I contacted my boss and made arrangements to take off to Dangriga to see what I could have done to assist her."
But it was too late to help her.
Ari Vanzie Sr., Father of Deceased
"I reached the hospital and then I received the shocking, really really traumatic news that Arita has passed, I could not believe it, I thought that maybe there was something I could have done, or maybe I could still go and talk to the doctor and see what we could have done but she had already passed, she was gone already."
Vanzie said that Arita frequently traveled to Dangriga to visit friends and family. And while the public speculated that the curfew may have been a factor, Vanzie denied those claims.
Ari Vanzie Sr., Father of Deceased
"The curfew was not a factor in this situation, when my son made the first call to me it was some minutes before 9 o'clock which gave them ample time, over an hour and I'm sure the accident had already taken place sometime before, I estimate about twenty minutes to half an hour before my son gave me the call."
And as Vanzie remembered his daughter, who - according to him - was a daddy's girl, he reminisced fondly on the sound of her laughter.
Ari Vanzie Sr., Father of Deceased
"It's absolutely impossible to know Arita and not know the kind of personality that she had, always having this big smile on her face, always laughing, she had this weird laugh that really captured everybody and fascinated and it was a one of a kind unique laugh that everybody who knows her knows what I'm talking about. She was definitely loved by everyone, extremely mannerly and treated everyone with the utmost respect, affection and love."
An outpouring of love and support on social media confirms Vanzie's words.
Notably, Arita Vanzie was featured in a road safety commercial shot by the Government Press Office three years ago.
