Tonight, the Somoza family in Cotton Tree is mourning the loss of their 21-year-old daughter Joanna, after she was rear-ended while riding pillion on a motorcycle and flung off the edge of the Beaver Dam Bridge. She was just 10 from home.
Her co-worker, 42-year-old Aurelio Ayala who was driving the motorbike, also died from the impact.
Tonight we're taking you back to the scene of the accident to show you the conditions that led to the double fatality:
This was the scene on the Beaver Dam bridge last night in the moments after 21-year-old Joana Samoza and 42-year-old Aurelio Ayala lost their lives.
The co-workers had left the Belize Recycling company at 8 mile on the George Price Highway en route to their respective homes at Cotton Tree and Roaring Creek but it was while crossing the Beaver Dam that their motorcycle was rear-ended by a retrofitted ambulance. Aurelio was flung to the pavement but Joanna was thrown from the bike over the edge of the bridge into the ravine below.
The driver said he didn't see the motorcycle:
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"Upon crossing the Beaver Dam Bridge, he didn't notice the motorbike in front of him and this motorbike was rear ended causing injuries to both the driver and the passenger of that motorcycle. We know that the driver, Mr Barrillas, he voluntarily gave upon urine sample, he was served with a notice of intended prosecution."
Courtney Menzies:
"Did the motorcycle not have lights for him to not see it in front of him?"
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"Well, that is what the investigators would have to appraise me of later when they have put together their PI into this fatal RTA. I don't know if you're familiar with that area, but there is no light on the Beaver Dam Bridge itself, I know that they have lights on the side of the highway on both approaches, both the Belize City approach and from the Belmopan City approach, but on the bridge proper itself, there are no lights on that bridge."
This morning our 7News team travelled to the village to learn more about the 21-year-old woman who died all too suddenly.
Cindy Samoza, Joanna's Mother
"Well she was a very fun person and had a lot of friends, I think a lot of friends will miss her, everybody has pictures of her and she was always hanging with anybody. She liked to drink but this day she wasn't drinking, she was coming from work and I don't really know what happened but from what I have heard the ambulance hit her from behind."
But the unlit bridge was one that Aurelio and Joanna had crossed several times at the same time of night. They couldn't have known last night that this would be the one time they wouldn't make it across.
Cindy Samoza, Joanna's Mother
"The guy that, he is just her co-worker so she always asked him for rides so that she didn't have to pay the passage money because she says he always comes to this side so he offers to bring her in the night like in the after they finish they come home from their work but she just had like maybe a month working there. I'm not really sure but just about that time and he always gave her rides, dropped her by here by the bus stop and go, I think he's from Belmopan."
Joanna's Mom says while she mourns her daughter she feels terrible about the young child that Aurelio Ayala leaves behind.
Cindy Samoza, Joanna's Mother
"Mein, I feel sorry because he was just doing her a favour by bringing her home and he and all lost his life and it's hard because I don't think they really deserve that way but God knows why he does it like that and I feel sorry because he left behind a kid from what I heard and it's very hard."
"I just left it in God's hands and just pray to God that she is in a better place because it's really hurting for the family at this moment because I never expected her to go this way like from work you know."
"She would always hang out with friends and then I said maybe one day she would get hurt but not expecting that the day she was coming from her job would be the last day I saw her."
Somoza had only been working at The Belize Recycling Company for a month.
Ayala is survived by a common-law wife and a toddler. The family is trying to make arrangements to have his body flown back to Salvador.
