On Friday, we told you about two separate traffic fatalities that happened in the Belmopan area - both involved motorcycles, and they resulted in the deaths of two men, one 18 years old, the other 25 years old.
And then on Saturday morning - just after midnight there was another fatality - and it killed two men. They were on a motorcycle carrying three persons when it crashed into the guardrail on the Hummingbird Highway:
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
"On Saturday, 18th October, sometime around 12.35 a.m, information was received of a road traffic accident at mile 21 on the Hummingbird Highway. Police visited the scene where they observed an extensively damaged Skygo motorcycle in the middle of the road and also observed on the scene where the unresponsive bodies of Maritza Cho, 32 years of age and Heraldo Ack 30 years of age."
"Police also learned that one Cerial Lino who was also on board the motorcycle was escorted to the southern regional hospital for medical attention. So far what the police have been able to ascertain is that all three persons were on the cycle traveling from Middlesex to Dangriga when the driver apparently lost control and collided into the guardrail in the vicinity of mile 21 which caused all persons to be flown from the cycle."
So, that makes it four men dead in motorcycle accidents since Thursday: ages, 18, 25, 30 and 32.
It's a crisis - and the Police and Transport Departments have been working on enforcement:
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
"The police department has been conducting operations consistently. For this year alone a total of 1,846 arrests have been made for traffic offenses and traffic violations, which include a myriad of offenses."
"160 of those are in relation to persons who are arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. So there has been extensive operation and enforcement approach by the department."
"Currently, about 40 or so police officers and transport officers are engaged in a training with a view to see how the enforcement can be ramped up and I do know that discussions are being had and steps are being made to amend the legislation because certainly it would want to appear that the legislation as it stands now does not serve the deterrence purpose since many persons continue to violate the law."
Last year, 55 motorcycle riders died in accidents - which makes it the leading cause of traffic fatalities.
