A traffic accident on the August Pine Ridge road at around 10:00 pm last night has left 3 dead - a husband and wife, and their friend.
And tonight two families from August Pine Ridge and San Felipe are between grief and disbelief. I went to those villages in the Orange Walk District today and spoke to the families:
They left early Sunday morning to take a quick trip to the Corozal Freezone, and their families expected them back by nightfall. Byron Magana and his common law wife Sherlyn Henriquez both took a photo during their outing and uploaded it to Magna's facebook story, one which was still visible until this morning. No one would predict that the happy couple would later lose their lives on this stretch heading back to San Felipe. They were in the company of Celvin Cortez and the mother of his 2 children, who were also with them in Cortez's vehicle. Somehow Cortez drove directly into the back of this now smashed can trailer still on the side of the road. And Magana's family was one of the first to hear of the accident when it happened.
Polo Magana, Father of deceased
"We were just going to sleep because early morning Monday we have to go to work so we went to sleep around 99:00 then my daughter she lives there, she came to the door shouting Mom, Mom I want to tell you something so I got up quickly because I was watching a movie and when I got up and opened the door she was there but as I saw her she was like that trembling and crying, now we asked her to tell us what happened and she said a big accident, and we asked who and she didn't want to tell us."
"She didn't want to say what happened exactly so when she told us the name of the driver of the pickup then we reacted and asked what happened, she said the driver of the pickup died and when we heard that we knew my son and his wife had gone with him to the free zone. When we heard that my wife began to cry hard."
Cortez's mom didn't find out until her grandson - who was in the vehicle when it crashed - called her from the scene.
Voice of: Araceli Cortez, Mother of deceased
"When he called me I said Ah he is calling me, but when I answered it was my grandson saying mamita mamita we need help he say. And I said why do you need help and he says we were in an accident mamita he says, we crashed and we need help he says. I said okay right now we will go I told him. I then went to find my son-in-law to take us and he came for the pickup at my house and I said please take us. But when we arrived at where the accident happened, we came down and a lady told me there are 3 dead. No, I said, no one is dead. And she said yes there are 3 dead. And I started to crying because I thought it was my son."
Cortez refused to believe that her son had died and she still believed on her way to the hospital that he was alive and being transported to Northern Regional.
Araceli Cortez, Mother of deceased
"My friends kept calling me and saying that it is true my son Selvin has died. But I said no because they said that they had brought someone in ambulance at the hospital. So I said, okay they took my son there he is. And they kept saying yes it is true that your son died. But I said no my son isn't dead they took him to the hospital. So now when I came and we got here, one of my nieces and another lady, my friend came and hugged me and said Araceli I'm sorry about what happened to you, and I asked what's wrong if my son is here? She said no your son isn't here he is over there and I said no they brought my son here. Then a lady came and held me and said I have to be strong. Why I asked? And she says because what we are about to tell you. I asked what? What will you tell me? She says your son is dead and I said no my son isn't dead and I started crying because I didn't want to believe it."
Up to now Magana's family are still unable to piece together how the accident happened. Byron's Facebook story does show that the group was drinking at the zone, but he says he cannot say whether they had too many or what exactly went wrong.
Polo Magana, Father of deceased
"I don't know if they were drinking beers, I don t know what happened exactly I don t know, I don't know that they got into and accident and I don't know with whom or with what, with a pickup or a trailer I don't know."
"I think I am dreaming that's what I say sometimes, I think I am dreaming that this cant be happening to me."
"Never in my mind, never in my my mind he would die this weekend. They had plans."
Jo- "How old was he?"
Polo Magana, Father of deceased
"35, he was still young, still young, and his wife she is 20. She is from August Pine ridge and then she came to live with my son. Here but they are very very good persons. Very good persons."
"Every person here in San Felipe knows my son, he is very very I cant find the word that can fit right now. Like generous, happy, he likes to make jokes he likes to dance too he likes to cook, he helps here his mother to helps sometimes he helps his mother here when she is sick, he wakes up if he has to wake up at midnight to go and get pills or something he wakes up and he goes and quickly comes back and brings the medicine."
And like Magana Cortez is also grieving a son that she says was very dear to her, especially since she was unable to see him right after he passed away.
Araceli Cortez, Mother of deceased
"I had asked to see him but they wouldn't let me I just wanted to confirm that it is my son and that he is dead. I loved my son so much. I adored my son, all three of my children I love dearly, and he was always so loving with me always hugging me and telling me mom I love you so much, and I would tell him yes behave good because I love you a lot too because you are my son."
