Two men are dead after a massive collision early this morning. It happened on the San Antonio Road in the Orange Walk district before dawn. The accident occurred at a police checkpoint - and there are questions tonight about whether the cops contributed to the massive collision by setting up a checkpoint at an unmarked area. Jomarie Lanza reports from Orange Walk.
What would have been a routine delivery from Orange walk town to Yo creek village for Caribbean Chicken sales rep Cornelio Magana, and his nephew, the driver of the company truck, Jeremy Portillo, resulted in a massive collision that claimed both their lives.
Some time after 4:00 this morning, Portillo crashed the delivery truck at high speed into the back of a dump truck that had stopped in the middle of the road - after being pulled over by police.
Jacob Klassen, the Sales manager for Caribbean Chicken in Orange Walk town was one of the first to arrive at the scene:
Jacob Klassen, Sales Manager, Caribbean Chicken
"Well in the morning at 5:00, just after 5:00 they called me and told me that there was a serious accident on the road from Yo creek to San Antonio. But we didn't know exactly what happened or whatever because one of the customers had called us right. We sent one of our people to investigate. Then I went quickly to the scene, and when I reached the scene, the police was there and they were working on that, and the driver was still in the truck, he was tightened up but soon they had to take him out."
"And that direction that our guys came from there are no signals because the vehicle from the police was on the front of the dump truck. So our vehicle crashed into the dump truck, and the dump truck crashed into the vehicle of the police."
Mildred Portillo is the driver's sister and the sales rep's niece. She says the family is in shock because her uncle and brother had been working together for a number of years, and prioritized road safety. She describes the pair as one soul and one mind, with a number of shared similarities.
Mildred Portillo, Relative of Deceased
"They started working together probably a few years now like one year two years. It's amazing how they have both really the same personalities attitudes everything they got along so well in work. I just think they are always so responsible and the one thing with my brother I would say, if sometimes I would be calling him and he's driving my uncle would message me and would be like, He's driving right now so he cannot answer you so I don't understand what happened we are still in shock trying to find answers."
The only answer they were happy to find is that the only survivor, the youngest victim of the crash, Magana's son was sleeping in the back seat. Mildred says that he is quite shaken up but they are glad he is still alive.
Mildred Portillo, Relative of Deceased
"It's just so sad that all three were family but thank God we at least have one survivor."
Reporter-
"We were told that he was asleep when the accident happened?"
Mildred Portillo, Relative of Deceased
"Yes, he was actually taking a nap in the back my brother was the driver and then my uncle was the salesman beside him so whenever they reach their destination then he would be the one in helping them unloading and such things so. When the incident. Happened he couldn't even move because of the impact but he got hurt so that's all we know for now."
In the 10 years that Klaussen has been working for the company, this is the first time they've seen a double fatality:
Jacob Klassen, Sales Manager, Caribbean Chicken
"That is a normal run they do it a few times a week and they have a good while I think the sales man is around 20 years he's been working for us the next one the driver I'm not so sure but that's five plus years I think."
Reporter
"Do you believe that this accident could have been prevented had there been better lighting on the road or better signage or any of those things?"
Jacob Klassen, Sales Manager, Caribbean Chicken
"I think so if the police will put the sign on because there are signs that they should put on the road."
But, two lives are lost - and police will now have to determine whose negligence caused the grisly double fatality.
The driver of the dump truck, 42 year old Sheldon Leonard Meighan survived the accident unscathed. 18 year old Isair Jared Magana was the only passenger in the Caribbean Chicken truck who survived. He remains hospitalized in a stable condition.
Police officers seated in the mobile, Daniel Chata, Arziel Arzu, and Kaylin Fernandez also survived without major injury.
It's of significant note that the last time there was a multiple fatality on that road four months ago when four people were killed.
