Tonight, we begin with the tragic death of a young student killed by a drunk driver on Friday evening. 8-year-old Mercedes Campos was crossing the street near Mile 9 in Ladyville with her family when a Mazda pickup truck came barreling towards them.
According to Campos' grandmother, she tried to save her daughter and two granddaughters, but couldn't get to Campos before the vehicle ran over her. And when the driver emerged from the vehicle, reports say he was staggering, and smelt strongly of alcohol.
Tearfully, she told us about that horrific moment today, and about the smart, loving little girl her granddaughter was.
Lucila Guevara, Grandmother of Deceased
"They were about to cross the road when a car was coming to Belize City direction and the person who was driving the car didn't give her a chance to cross the road, so when they gave her time to cross, the person who knocked down the 4 of them was very drunk and ran over the little girl. She saved 3 of them, but couldn't save the little one. The car that knocked down the little girl didn't have any license. The witnesses detain the man and police came and grab him."
"The little girl was a humble, respectful person, she had very good grades at school and she really likes school. She was very attentive with us, she always come to church, she was very unique."
"The car went over the little girl and broke her back and she didn't survive. The rest had damages to their bodies."
And today, the police added that the driver, 51-year-old Elias Reynoso, has since been arrested and charged.
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"On Friday sometime around 6:30pm, police responded to a fatal traffic accident scene in Ladyville, somewhere around mile 9 and Poinsettia Street where they saw the lifeless body of 8-year-old Mercedes Campos. Also on the scene, police found a driver of a black pickup truck, highly under the influence of alcohol. This person was taken into custody, he refused to give blood or urine sample and he has since then been charged with manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, driving without due care and attention, failure to provide a valid driver's license, and failure to provide blood or urine specimen. We know that this person is to appear in court sometime today to be arraigned. The driver, Elias Reynoso, 51 years, of an Orange Walk address."
Reporter:
"So basically the child was on the street walking when the vehicle knocked her down?"
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Officer
"Swerved into her path, actually."
And this morning, Reynoso, a Guatemalan national living in Guinea Grass, was arraigned in court. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser where he was read five offenses. Reynoso's attorney, Leeroy Banner, fought for him to get bail, arguing that he has been married to a Belizean woman for over 29 years and has four children, so he is not a flight risk. He also argued that allegations of his client driving under the influence have not been proven.
Chief Magistrate Frazer decided to grant him bail in the sum of $10,000 plus two sureties of $5,000. Reynoso must also surrender all his traveling documents to the Clerk of Court.
Since Reynoso could not get bail before the end of the day, he was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until October 27th.
