Tonight our headline story is a traffic tragedy of dizzying proportions: three members of the same family: mother, daughter and aunt were killed in a terrible collision on the George Price Highway.
It happened on Saturday around 4:00 in the evening between miles two and three - not far from Cisco construction. 30-year-old Samantha Castillo, was driving her Honda Element down from Old Belize along with her sister in in law Martha Nayeli Vasquez, and Martha's one year old child, Deanna Castillo - and another 6 year old daughter. Samantha had just dropped off her brother and Martha's husband, Matthew Castillo at old Belize where he was going on a fishing trip.
They were heading back down to Belize City when they had a massive head on collision with this F-150 Ford Pick-up. It's a US Embassy vehicle and was being driven by US Diplomat Justin Markele Guidry. Police say he was westbound to Belmopan and he was overtaking a vehicle, and in the process he lost control and collided head-on into Samantha Castillo's Honda Element.
Castillo died behind the wheel, and baby Deanna died from the impact. Deana's mother, Martha Vasquez was flung out of the vehicle - and died from her injuries a few hours later. The other 6 year old girl is the only survivor with two broken legs.
We spoke via telephone to a relative, Rangel Sedacy who happened unto the scene minutes after it happened. He told us what he saw:...
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"When I arrived on the scene the vehicle was on the side. It wasn't in the same position that it was earlier."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"The Honda Element?"
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"Yes, so we asked a guy who was driving a 40 foot trailer truck to flip the vehicle for us with a chain. One person was inside the vehicle who was Samantha Castillo."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Okay and she had already passed away."
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"Yes. At the impact of the accident I believe, yes."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"The two young children were on the side of the road?"
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"Yes sir. Well actually someone had already took them out of the vehicle and put them on the ground."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Okay and one of the children had passed away, the baby, and the older one had two broken legs right?"
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"Yes, that is correct. When the husband of the other lady arrived, he asked me where is his wife. That is Matthew Castillo. I told him I didn't know that 4 persons were in the vehicle. So we conduct a quick search and the other person was 10 foot away from the vehicle in the bushes. I start to tear down bushes and we went in there and pick up the young lady. The first thing I did was to check around her neck to see if she had a pulse, and in deed she had a pulse and me and another guy who works at the US Embassy help me to take out that young lady."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"And how was her condition?"
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"Her condition - oh mein she was damaged bad. She had a big fracture at the back of her head. She had like a cut beside her head."
Sedacy told us that he was most surprised to learn that the driver of the pickup was the first to leave the scene:...
Voice of: Rangal Sedacy, First Responder to Accident
"When I reach on the scene, the only person who was not on the scene was the person who driving the pickup. Before they remove the man, they could have easily remove the babies and attend to the babies, before they attended to any adult."
The police could not tell us anything about the driver of the pickup, US Diplomat Justin Guidry - what were the extent of his injuries, or whereabouts, and whether he had performed any blood alcohol or urine tests. We do know that he was NOT served with a notice of intended prosecution and this is because he has diplomatic immunity and cannot be criminally charged. Reports suggest he is no longer in the country. The Castillo family - which lost three family members in just a few hours - says the embassy has not made any contact with them. They note that the driver of the Honda Element Samantha Castillo is a US Citizen.
The US Embassy sent out a statement this morning saying, quote, "The Embassy community expresses deep shock and sadness in connection with Saturday's tragic car accident that took three lives and injured two people, including a U.S. diplomat. Our most sincere sympathies and heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the loved ones of those who lost their lives and were affected in this terrible tragedy." The embassy did not answer our questions about whether Guidry took a blood or urine test.
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