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Daniel Ortiz reporting
A traffic accident at mile 60 on the Western Highway claimed the lives of 4 people, a San Ignacio taxi driver and his 3 female passengers.

As these images show, the West Line Bus which was heading to the direction of San Ignacio had a head on collision with the white taxi car.

We found the car off the highway. The front was completely smashed in. The Benque sign and the yellow grill belonged to the bus, yet they were on top of the car's wreckage.

From every angle you looked at it, its extensive damages told clearly that the occupants of the car couldn't possibly survive the impact.

3 of them died on the spot. The fourth was recovered by the authorities, and she was transported to Belmopan hospital. She died while undergoing treatment. The Westline bus, moved up the hill, hardly looked better than the vehicle. Its right wind-shield was missing, and its radiator and suspension were destroyed; it had to be towed away.

Usbaldo Castillo - GM, Westline Bus Service
"This morning like around 10:30 am I received a call from my conductor informing me that there was a traffic accident on the bridge right after the Orange Gallery. He explained to me that a taxi had run into the front of the bus and there were three passengers that seemed to be fatally injured and one that was trapped. After receiving the call, I immediately was on my way to the scene of the accident where I saw the white Corolla Taxi that was collided in front of the bus on the driver's side. By the time I had reached they had already taken out one of the passengers that was in the accident to the Belmopan hospital - I later learned that this person was a female and she also passed away so that makes four fatalities."

As Castillo explained, the driver, identified as 64 year-old Eliseo Chan, and his 3 female passengers, Molly Hude, Angela Bugeja, and Ioanna Thomopoulou, all international students, passed away. The occupants of the bus all survived.

Usbaldo Castillo
"Fortunately for my bus driver he was uninjured, I guess it was just the fear of the time - my conductor received a blow to the head because of the impact and also a blow to his cheek. I took him to the hospital where he received medical treatment and he was released shortly after where he was diagnosed with a molar injury - he will go to the dentist and get that checked out but apart from that thank God for WestLine there were no major accidents. I'd like to extend my most heartfelt condolences to the other families - I understand that they were three students that were working at Cahal Pech as archaeological students and they were on their way to the airport. Presently the driver Mr. Ian Valerio is giving a statement right now - I'm waiting for him to get through so that I can get more information on it and the conductor went to seek dental treatment and as soon as he gets through he will come and give his statement as well."

Daniel Ortiz
"From your observation - how extensively damaged were your bus and the vehicle?"

Usbaldo Castillo
"The collision provoked that the front tire, the engine detached from the transmission and the entire front of the bus was extensively damaged. The taxi received a - the engine was under the bus - all of the driver's side and passenger side was completely bad. They had to cut it open to extract the people from the vehicle."

Castillo, as an experienced driver, explained to us what he thought happened, based on his observations, and the information given to him.

Daniel Ortiz
"What in your best opinion happened?"

Usbaldo Castillo
"From what I saw the bus was almost out of the bridge and the bus was against the railing of the bridge. From my observation my driver tried as much to avoid the collision - however, the taxi I believe lost control because it's a downhill, it's a curve and it's been raining and I believe he lost control. Obviously the bridge is so wide that you cannot run away."

Eliseo Chan's family told us about what they learned about his passing.

Cindy Canche - Daughter of Eliseo Chan
"My brother was the one that got the call and he got all the information but he doesn't want to tell us because he doesn't want me to tell my mom what really happened because she's a diabetic and we don't want to give her that big shock."

Abner Chan - Son of Eliseo Chan
"Apparently he was losing control of the vehicle and they say the bus tried avoiding it as much as he could but he ended up under the bus therefore all of them died on the spot."

Ian Valerio, the driver of the bus was with investigators for over 3 hours, and after he gave his statement to police, he told us what he could recall about how the accident happened. He was very visibly shaken by the entire situation.

Voice of: Ian Valerio - Driver of the Bus
"I was coming down the hill by the Orange Gallery like 15 miles an hour and when I approached the bridge I saw a white car banged around the curve coming down too and when he banged down the curve he banged way into the lane where I was coming on the bridge so when he banged into that lane he swerved back into his lane. When he swerved back into his lane, I don't know what threw him back across into my lane and that is how he came right into the front of the bus."

Daniel Ortiz
"I understand you tried everything you could have to avoid it."

Voice of: Ian Valerio
"I tried everything - I ended up way on the edge of the railing."

Daniel Ortiz
"Injuring the entire members who were on the bus. In your opinion, how fast do you think the driver was coming and do you think he lost control of the vehicle when he tried to swerve back?"

Voice of: Ian Valerio
"More or less I would say he lost control and I know he was coming with a good speed about 90 miles."

And while Valerio's recollection says that he was traveling fast, Chan's family says that he was a cautions and experienced driver.

Cindy Canche
"He was always a cautious driver"

Daniel Ortiz
"And he doesn't take risks."

Cindy Canche
"No - before he leaves he would always check if his wheels are good and if the engine works well."

Abner Chan
"My dad was a good driver, an excellent driver - he drove for many years. Like how they said, they knew he was a very careful driver and he checked his tires and oils every day. His car doesn't have 'waste tire' so that has us intrigued - how did this happen? I know my daddy wasn't driving fast but circumstances again and he probably lost control of the vehicle and you know sometimes you can't handle it."

Daniel Ortiz
"How are you coping with the fact that you tried your best but people still passed away?"

Voice of: Ian Valerio
"Like I said - I tried my best and like some of the passengers told me 'don't let that hold you down' so I will continue do what I do and drive and just pray."

Abner Chan
"My family is a Christian family, all of us go to church - we have learned and understand that we don't question God and only God knows what He does."

The three females were all international students who we believe to have been working on archeology projects in Belize and who had links to The University of Kent and the Athens University of Business and Economics.

24 year-old Molly Hude, was a US University student who worked as the Supervisor for the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project. 25 year-old Ioanna Thomompaulou, and 24 year-old Angela Bugeja were European students. Best information to 7News is that Eliseo Chan were transporting them to the airport, and they were scheduled to leave the country.

The occupant inside the bus also received injures in the collision. In addition to the driver and the conductor, a pregnant woman, Emily Burgess, and 10 year-old female, complained of pain and bruises to their bodies.