Last night, we told you that the Prime Minister's driver, 58-year-old Edwin Hill, was being investigated after his vehicle collided with a cyclist just before 8 on Sunday night. The impact killed the man, who has just been identified today as Sherwin Leslie.
Leslie is a resident of Belize City who died a long way from home, near Biscayne Village. And today, his nephew - whom he'd raised like a son - said he had no idea that his uncle even rode his bicycle on the road. As far as he knew, the victim didn't go further than Fort George, where he made his living.
Courtney Menzies spoke with him today and has this story.
After being killed by a car on the Philip Goldson Highway, John Doe lay in the morgue until this morning, when he was identified as Sherwin Leslie.
But one of the reasons he remained unidentified for over 24 hours was because Leslie lives in Belize City, but was knocked off his bicycle between miles 24 and 25 on the highway. His nephew, Lloyd Leslie, said he never expected his uncle to be so far away from home.
Voice of: Lloyd Leslie, Nephew of Victim
"I found out this morning, like about after 7 this morning, my son called me and explained to me, dad, check on your uncle cause he got the news that he got knocked down."
"One of the neighbors where my uncle lived, he is the person that called and identified the body."
"It came in puzzling to me because I know my uncle doesn't ride the road at all. His job is just to stay in the city, wash vehicle, mainly. He's mostly found in front of Fort George. That's his land, everyday, Sunday to Sunday, so it come in kinda puzzling to know that he is so far on bike. I talked to, well, I didn't talk to anybody personally, but just rumors that somebody say him at the Boom Junction drinking coconut water and another person saw him riding through Sandhill."
Courtney Menzies:
"And he never told you that maybe he has a friend or somebody that he goes to visit?"
Voice of: Lloyd Leslie, Nephew of Victim
"Never, never did."
But it wasn't just any driver that had hit Leslie, but rather the PM's personal driver, 58-Edwin Hill. Hill was in his private vehicle and told police that Leslie swerved out in front of him.
Leslie's nephew explained that while he understands accidents do happen, he's hoping that a proper investigation will be conducted.
Voice of: Lloyd Leslie, Nephew of Victim
"It came in shocking to start with to know that my uncle got knocked down, to hear the prime minister's driver, it doesn't really push it to no extreme thoughts to that extent, that means to say it's an accident, accidents happen to everybody, it's something that you just have to deal with the best possible way you can deal with it right now and I believe after that we could bury him the right way but at the same time, it's something that the driver, not because he's the minister's driver, it's something he could just turn his eye and look the next way. I'd want him to be responsible to the situation and try assist someway or anyway he could for us to put Sherwin down and move on with life."
Courtney Menzies:
"But do you think because of his connections he might get special treatment?"
Voice of: Lloyd Leslie, Nephew of Victim
"Well, that's the case in Belize, we find that several times happening, like I said, we don't really want to look that direction. Just hold up the responsibility, it's something that could happen to everybody, just asking to be passionate to the situation and try reach out how he could."
And now, for his nephew, he just hopes that he can get justice for the man who was like a father to him and who stayed out of trouble.
Voice of: Lloyd Leslie, Nephew of Victim
"My uncle was a cool person, my uncle just into wash vehicle, mostly in front of Fort George, that's his thing, wash vehicle and in the evening time when you see 5:30/6 he is riding coming home with his rations for kill his evening and start a new day tomorrow so he's nobody that goes around and is in any- he doesn't drink, smoke cigarette, but he isn't around like that. He keeps to himself, he doesn't fool with people, he doesn't stay in the crowd. My uncle is just a - to me, because he's a special uncle to me - I find him to be a blessed person who was always there for me when I was younger. Now that he has passed, I think it's time for us to be with him now."
Police have not decided what charges Edwin Hill will face.
