Bus Incident on Hummingbird Highway Leaves Passengers Shaken

A road traffic incident involving a passenger bus occurred last night along the Hummingbird Highway just outside Armenia Village, raising concern among travelers but fortunately resulting in no major injuries.  The bus, belonging to the National Bus Company of Belize, was transporting passengers toward Dangriga when the incident occurred shortly after seven o’clock Tuesday night. On board were the driver, conductor, and several passengers traveling to the Stann Creek District.  Love News was on the scene shortly after the incident happened. While the circumstances surrounding the collision are still being reviewed, early reports indicate that the situation could have been far more serious.  Speaking to Love News at the scene was the driver of the bus, Anthony Young, who explained that in all his years behind the wheel he had never previously been involved in a road traffic collision. Young said that when he realized what was unfolding, he feared the outcome could have been fatal but expressed relief that no lives were lost and that passengers escaped serious harm.

Anthony Young, Bus Driver: “Leaving from Armenia awhile ago, everything was good coming and all of a sudden there was a red vehicle coming, swerved directly into my lane and that caused the collision. When it caused the collision I kinda tried to get away from him but there was nothing I could do and when we hit each other the bus, the tail of the bus swerved, and I tried to brake but with the little speed I was coming with it just continued going heading off the road into the ditch and that’s how I hit the brakes again and when the bus landed there and turned over it kind was kind of polite.”

Reporter: You had to make a quick second decision.

Anthony Young, Bus Driver: “A quick decision.”

Reporter: What was even going through your mind when you saw that vehicle coming into your lane ? 

Anthony Young, Bus Driver: “I thought that some of us would have gone to zero. And if I didn’t go back and hit the brakes again it would have been worse, we would have taken a harder impact.”

Reporter: Now how long have you been driving and have you ever been in anything like this before ?

Anthony Young, Bus Driver: “Never. Never.” 

Reporter: Now, what was the capacity that you were carrying ? 

Anthony Young, Bus Driver: “Probably, well the conductor could really tell you that but more or less we had about twenty people or something like that more or less.”

Reporter: Now are you aware of any serious injuries to your passengers ?

Anthony Young, Bus Driver: “Well the main thing I did when the bus turned over , the motor was still running. I found my way to shut it down. I found my way to get to the light switch to put on in the bus and I looked to see all I could see and I asked if everybody was okay and people were kind of you know it’s a sudden thing people were crying but I said let us cooperate and the conductor opened the back door and that’s where we started to get them out. I was the last one to come so I saw everyone else walked out. We didn’t have to carry anyone out or thing like that. Everybody walked out the bus. We probably have some minor injuries, the ambulance took them to the hospital.”

Authorities have since confirmed that no major injuries were reported among the passengers or crew on board the bus. Investigators also say that a specimen has been taken from the driver of a red SUV that reportedly collided with the bus as part of standard procedures in the ongoing investigation.