A 20-year-old Ladyville resident lost his life on Sunday while heading from home to his job in Burrell Boom. Oscar Mayen Jr faced the same fate as his father, who was also killed in a traffic incident in the very same area months earlier.
Only in this case, Mayen Jr was knocked off his motorcycle by a vehicle that allegedly veered into his lane.
Courtney Menzies visited the scene today to learn more. Here is that story.
At 20 years old, Oscar Mayen Jr had a job at a taco joint, a girlfriend of two years, and a love for motorcycles. But any other goals he was working towards vanished after he was killed in a road traffic incident yesterday morning on the Boom Road.
Mayen's sister explained that he was on his way to work when it happened.
Tanya Mayen, Sister of Deceased
"My aunt, she sells tacos in Hattieville, she called me and said your brother is dead. I'm like, no. then I called my mom, she didn't pick up the phone. I didn't know what happened until I saw the news. I went on [Hot Off The Press] Belize and I saw everything and I was in shock. And I just came… I haven't seen my mom yet actually but it was like a hard thing for us, especially for me because he was my little brother and my only brother."
"He was going for his girlfriend in Boom, his father in law owned a taco restaurant, Taco Chapito, he was working with them as, well, he used to cook and so on and so he was going to his girlfriend to pick her up to go work together so what I know that he was coming in the curve and I think the guy was going to the gas station, didn't see him and just knock him."
And according to one eyewitness, it was the red Ford Escape, driven by 43-year-old Jules Adderly, that drifted into Mayen's lane, before crashing into this lamppost.
Voice of: Omar Martinez, Eyewitness
"The way how it happened, it happened so fast. The impact, the motorcycle caught on fire, we helped extinguishing it. The guy ended up way to this side of the road, the next guy collided into the lamppost. He didn't last long after that moment, his pulse… just an unfortunate situation that I had to witness."
Courtney Menzies:
"So the motorcycle and the car had a head on collision?"
Voice of: Omar Martinez, Eyewitness
"Yes."
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you know whether someone was in the wrong lane?"
Voice of: Omar Martinez, Eyewitness
"The guy in the vehicle."
Courtney Menzies:
"So he drifted into the other side?"
Voice of: Omar Martinez, Eyewitness
"Yes, look like he was on his phone or something like that."
And what hurts the most for this family is how unexpected Mayen's death was, since he wasn't the type to cause trouble.
Tanya Mayen, Sister of Deceased
"He was young, to me was innocent, really quiet, full of life. It hurts a lot because he didn't used to drink nor smoke, his vice was only motorcycles, that was his only passion. Hardworking young guy, you know? And he used to live with my mom so he was like all dedicated to work and home."
Courtney Menzies:
"How long has he been riding motorcycles for?"
Tanya Mayen, Sister of Deceased
"Well, since he was starting to… 15 years old? Yeah but then he owned his bike when he was 18."
Courtney Menzies:
"And had he gotten into an accident before?"
Tanya Mayen, Sister of Deceased
"Never. And my mom used to tell him don't buy bikes because we had already experienced uncles that died."
And this is the second death in a little over two months for the Mayen family, since they just lost their father in June, one that very same road not far from this most recent tragedy. Mayen's sister says the grieving process hasn't been easy.
Tanya Mayen, Sister of Deceased
"Really hard, for my mom especially, well, for all of us, but for my mom, she lost her husband and her son, her only son. And for me, it's like, shocking. Like really, what? I'm still in shock, I can't cry, I wish I can cry, but I can't. It's really hard but it's going to hit one of these moments."
Mayen left behind no children.
Police detained the driver pending charges.
