Last night, we told you about the late breaking news on the George Price Highway at around mile 8. That's where a man was knocked down while he was trying to cross the road.
Well, we know more about him tonight: he's been identified to us as Guatemalan Julio Lemus, better known as "Pajarito". He survived the impact, but police say he is in critical condition. For the last few years, LEMUS has been living in Lindo's Alley, and his business is selling scrap batteries and copper to the Belize Recycling company.
That's where he was going last night at around 6:50 when he was knocked down. The vehicle that hit him was a black Toyota 4 Runner, driven by 27 year-old Nory Novelo. She was heading from Belmopan to Belize City, when she saw a woman riding a bicycle across the road. Novelo blew her horn, and she tried to avoid hitting the woman, but instead she ended up knocking down "Pajarito"
Reports we received are that he is not able to tell his doctors who he is, because he is not able to speak coherently at this time.
Up until midday today, the authorities didn't know who he was, but our news team went digging, and we found a group of friends that he lives with in Lindo's Alley, Belize City. They didn't know that he had been in the accident, but they did tell us that he was on his way to the Belize Recycling Company:
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Mr. Jimmy, we know that we just brought you the bad news that Mr. Pajarito is hospitalized. Tell us what he was doing last night? We were told that he was on his way to the junk yard up in 8 miles."
Jimmy Valdarez, Friend of Pajarito
"When he left from here, the last thing he told me that he was going to catch the bus to take the batteries at 8 miles. He told me that he was going to drop off some batteries because he was in a hurry."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Is that something that he does regularly, is that where he goes to do business?"
Jimmy Valdarez, Friend of Pajarito
"Yeah, he goes to do business up there and he goes to San Pedro to pick up oil and come back here to sell it."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Share with us how long has he been with you guys here in Lindo's Alley?"
Jimmy Valdarez, Friend of Pajarito
"He has been here for about 3 years now."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"We know that the KHMH is looking for people to come and identify him to them officially. Does he have any family here or are you the only people he hangs out with or lives with?"
Jimmy Valdarez, Friend of Pajarito
"Well from we were small he took care us and when we came here, he came here to stay with us. Right now my mom got the news, I don't know what will happen."
Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Does he have any kids, any family or anything like that?"
Jimmy Valdarez, Friend of Pajarito
"I know in Orange Walk he had his peoples."
We've since learned then that his brother has also gone to the hospital to properly identify him. At the scene last night, we saw the bag of batteries that he was trying to get to the Belize Recycling Company. That was left on the shoulder of the highway after he was hit.
A notice of intended prosecution has been issued against Nory Novelo.
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