Early this morning, a Silva's bus departed Benque Viejo heading north, towards Corozal. But, it only made it as far as Sandhill Village, when the bus slammed into an Isuzu D Max heading in the opposite direction. The catastrophic collision resulted in a triple fatality.
The three men that were traveling in the pickup truck, Brandon Gillett, James Dawson, and Eustace Dawson, were all killed - the first two instantly, while the third victim died at the hospital.
It's a devastating accident that has shaken the Crooked Tree community where these men lived, especially since they were on official duties - being that Gillett was the chairman of the village, and the two Dawson men were assisting him.
And in the midst of this tragedy, these families are now trying to accept the deaths of their loved ones.
Courtney Menzies was at the scene this morning and has this story.
Courtney Menzies:
Two men are dead and one in a critical condition following an accident that took place here, in Sandhill Village. It was a near head-on collision between a passenger bus and a Isuzu D Max that has left two families grasping for answers.
And while Brandon Gillett and James Dawson died on the spot, it wasn't long after that the third victim, Eustace Dawson, passed away as well while receiving treatment.
And according to the conductor of the bus, it all started with a taxi driver who made a sudden stop on the road.
Jonathan Estrada, Bus Conductor
"It was like 8:30 and like what I said, it was a taxi's fault, they stopped in the middle of the road and to not crash into the taxi or kill the people that were standing there, we came off the road but look like the Hilux, he got shocked and he come off the road and, head on. But we weren't going fast, it was the pickup that was going fast and they crashed into us and thing. It's really rough because those were family members, something really rough."
Reporter:
"Were you watching the road when this happened?"
Jonathan Estrada, Bus Conductor
"Yes I was."
Reporter:
"What were your thoughts?"
Jonathan Estrada, Bus Conductor
"I tried to tell him to slow down but something like this can't slow down one lick, so like what we did, we came off the road completely because you can see where it happened and the Hilux, the D Max I mean, look like he got frightened and he come off the road and came into us head on. And what killed them is mostly their speed. They were going hard."
Courtney Menzies:
"And in the aftermath, tell us a little bit about how you're feeling, how you're processing this."
Jonathan Estrada, Bus Conductor
"Well, honestly, kind of got a little frightened."
After the accident, Eustace Dawson was rushed to the hospital, while his uncle, James Dawson, and Brandon Gillett - the chairman of Crooked Tree Village - were trapped in the vehicle. The Fire Service's jaws of life were required to extract them, turning their pickup truck into a chunk of crushed metal.
And the three men left out of their homes early this morning on business - they were heading to Belmopan to a very important meeting with the area rep, Marconi Leal.
Marconi Leal, Area Rep, Belize Rural North
"It's a sad day, not only for Crooked Tree, but these guys are well known all over rural north, so it's a crushing blow for all of us. I was heading to Belmopan, we were supposed to have a meeting with them along with myself and Lands because we're trying to get more land in Crooked Tree for residents of Crooked Tree. So the chairman, you know, these guys are working for the people, they're on the job."
Heckland Adolphus, Uncle of Gillett
"They were going to Belmopan for a meeting, a livestock meeting and seeing about land in the village. Village work, because I was there waiting for them and when I figured out they hadn't reached yet then I made a call and found out they crashed, because they were supposed to meet me in Belmopan to go to the Lands Department and the Livestock Department too."
And for the Gillett family, it's almost like deja vu, since the chairman also lost his father in a car accident back in 2016. And after Dean Dawson's death, the mother of his children had pleaded for financial assistance for her children. And today, she told us it was like having a flashback, especially since she was a mother figure to Gillett.
Sherla Adolphus, Crooked Tree Resident
"We were very close, he is like a son to me, and I was very shocked when I heard the news that he caught into an accident. A while ago, about ten minutes ago, I heard it and it was a shock to me because I never expect it. They leave from home, we don't know what they will run into when they leave from home. The chairman dad died in an accident."
Reporter:
"Talk to us about when that had happened."
Sherla Adolphus, Crooked Tree Resident
"My boy was 9 years old, because I don't really remember the year. But right now this feels like a little impact to me that's why I respond like this when I meet this, in this shock, right, because that flick back to me in that year with the wife of the chairman, how she felt right now, with the little boy, because I was in that same position, the same size of that little boy, with my son."
And like Adolphus six years ago, Gillett's wife will have to raise their only son alone. And for the entire family, it's a tragedy beyond words. But by all accounts, Gillett was known to work hard for his family and his community.
Heckland Adolphus, Uncle of Gillett
"It's a hard process because it's a thing that was unexpected so everybody is still on the mourning side and crying, nobody get their composure yet together. We're pushing through by the grace of God."
"Brandon was a nice guy, he's a constructor, nice and village chairman, apparently he's the youngest village chairman ever in the country, hardworking, have one kid, one son."
Marconi Leal, Area Rep, Belize Rural North
"I was at his house Saturday night, me and my wife and my son, the CEO, just socializing, just talking about what we can do for Crooked Tree and for this to happen just a few days after, it's really sad, knowing that he's so aggressive, want to get things done for Crooked Tree, and a young man, I think about his wife and his son, I love his son, little Warren, when I heard it's three of them, I started to wonder if it's the chairman and his son, the son in there, that's why we had to ask and no it's not Warren, because I love Warren so much. So it's very touching, it's very rough, rough for all of us."
And like Gillett, the uncle and nephew Dawson duo were also known to fight hard for their community. In fact, James Dawson has, in the past, stood up to Audubon during protests in the village, and has advocated on behalf of farmers during floods.
And earlier this afternoon, Leal reminisced on the friends he'd known for years.
Marconi Leal, Area Rep, Belize Rural North
"I don't know Eustace that well, I knew his dad more than I knew the son, but I was at a workshop like a month ago with cattle, so I know he's into the cattle business and he was there asking a whole lot of question and that was when I really got to know the young man, but James, I know him for years, many many years, and I know he's a worker for his community. He's not on the village council but he's a worker for his community, very involved. But the chairman I knew him from he was a little boy, very close to the family."
Following the accident, the taxi that had allegedly caused the collision drove off without rendering aid. We note however that it is the bus which veered out of its lane - into the lane of oncoming traffic - when it could not stop quickly enough.
