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And from an explosion that changed everything to a collision that we hope will make Northern Highway drivers slow down. Around nine forty on Sunday morning traffic came to a standstill by mile two and a half on the Northern Highway. A major three way collision had occurred. A Toyota Rav four was in the drain off on the right hand side of the road, a Geo Prism was across the highway and further down the road a damaged white van property of Elite Security Services was mashed up.

Police preliminary investigation is that the Toyota vehicle driven at the time by fifty one year old Dr. Julio Diaz, a radiologist at Belize Healthcare Partners had just pulled out of the Brodies parking lot and made a turn into the right hand side of the road when it was rear ended by the Geo Prism which was travelling in the same direction towards Belize City. The car driven at the time by thirty two year old taxi man Louis Haynes crashed into the SUV and then lost control and careened into the left hand side of a passing van. The van which was driven at the time by twenty four year old security officer Dion Bellini landed off to the right hand side of the road. Inside the taxi cab at the time of the accident were three passengers, a woman and two children who we understand received only minor injuries. The driver Louis Haynes did receive facial injuries.

Today 7News caught up with Dr. Julio Diaz told who told us that today the police did charged him with driving without due care and attention because they informed him that he should have waited for all traffic to clear before he even attempted to drive off the Brodies parking lot onto the highway. But by Dr. Diaz’s reckoning he is only partially responsible for the accident.

Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you believe you should have waited?

Dr. Julio Diaz, Charged
“Yes according to the law I have to wait until the Northern Highway was cleared but I think not only me has the responsibility because if those vehicles on the Northern Highway are coming at the speed limit permitted then the accident would not happen like this because if you see the cars that are extensively damaged, they were coming at a high velocity.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
So you believe you’re not the only one responsible?

Dr. Julio Diaz,
“No I think the responsibility is shared between us.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
Dr. Diaz I know you mentioned that you said you believe you’re not the only one responsible here and that the other two vehicles involved in his collision were travelling at a very high speed and that is why you believe what is also needed in that area, especially along that stretch of the highway are speed bumps.

Dr. Julio Diaz,
“It is my opinion. I believe that and it is necessary to put speed bumps in this area because I think according to the lady in that place, two accidents have happened in the last month due to the high velocity of all vehicles on the Northern Highway.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
There were a total of 11 persons involved in this three way accident. Of the 11 persons it sounds as if the person who was driving the blue car was the one with the most serious injury, mostly to the face. You’re a doctor, you happened to look at his facial injuries, what can you tell us?

Dr. Julio Diaz,
“He has a lot of minor cuts on face but also I am a doctor, I did a CAT scan here to the abdomen and it was totally normal. It is just in the face, minor injuries.

While our 7News reporter was on the scene, a number of area residents complained about the need for speed bumps and appealed to the proper authorities to re install the two speed bumps that were once placed along that stretch of the highway but were removed when the road was renovated.