body,td,th { font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; }
The Minister of Sustainable Development's schedule would have had him in the Chiquibul Forest today, but those plans literally crashed after he was involved in a traffic accident near Georgeville.
Orlando Habet fortunately escaped unharmed, and spent the day recovering at his home. But images of the accident showed that it could have been much worse.
Today he told us that he left home around 8:00 to pick up a forestry officer, before setting off to Mountain Pine Ridge. But he didn't even make it to the house before he was hit by a truck.
Orlando Habet, Min. of Sustainable Dev./Accident Victim
"I recall he asked me to pick him up at his house and he lives on the left hand side going from here to Belmopan so when I arrived at the spot, I was looking at the rear view mirror, didn't see anybody behind me, and forward coming towards me there was no vehicle so I signaled and turned left. When I turned left, I quickly saw a shadow of a white vehicle and then felt the impact. So apparently he was already overtaking so I didn't see him in my rearview mirror. I suspect it might be on that little blindspot and I didn't see him and when the vehicle hit me, it flipped me and when I realized I was upside down, I was hanging, suspended and I realized it was because of the seatbelt so I unclipped the seatbelt and got free, tried to kick open the front passenger door but it was jammed and then I told myself not to panic because I'm claustrophobic so I crawled backwards and then I saw that the window from the back door had flown open so I crawled out of there and got out."
And the minister was the only one in the vehicle because, according to him, his driver was on medical leave in Merida. But while he escaped unscathed, he says the other driver received some injuries.
But - whose fault was it? The other driver told one media house that the police pointed fingers to the minister, but the minister rejected that narrative.
Orlando Habet, Min. of Sustainable Dev./Accident Victim
"I don't see how I would be at fault if I'm driving and I'm forward and the other vehicle is coming from behind. I know that when you come from behind and you hit another vehicle that vehicle is at fault. Plus if I'm turning, even though I'm turning left and looking at my rearview mirror and there's nothing coming from my side, I look forward and there's nothing coming so I can turn left, I don't want to prejudice the investigation so I think the police has to that and come up with all the information before they make a decision on who is at fault but what I noticed is that the area that he was overtaking had solid lines from the curve right past where I was so that indicates that I was not at fault."
But regardless of whose fault it was, for Minister Habet, who has lost his brother and sister-in-law to an accident about two decades ago, it was a particularly terrifying event - and it could have cost him his life if he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.
Orlando Habet, Min. of Sustainable Dev./Accident Victim
"Yes it is tough, but luckily the seatbelt, and it shows that it saves lives so I would like to encourage everyone who is out on the road to secure themselves using the seatbelt because it really helps. And I know that we have the new regulations with the implementation of the seatbelt and the fining and also because people use cellphones, sometimes including myself. Luckily these new vehicles that we have they have the hands free and so we don't have to be using our cellphones but not all vehicles have it and so it distracts you from what you're doing."
So now, what happens to his government issued vehicle? He says it's up to the prime minister.
Orlando Habet, Min. of Sustainable Dev./Accident Victim
"I am not certain because in a way I'm new to these things with government but I know that they will, if the vehicle isn't good enough to be repaired and to be safely put on the road, it will have to be scrapped and hopefully the prime minister will allow me to have another vehicle or even a vehicle from my department. I think that's the process."
The damaged vehicle is currently sitting inside the Forestry Department's compound.
