7 News Belize

Promising Bravo Technician Dies In Motorcycle Accident
posted (October 24, 2016)
Tonight a family from Fresh Pond in the Belize Rural area is mourning the loss of their loved-one who died from a motorcycle accident. The victim is 26 year-old Nitaya Locke, who was recently living in Lords Bank Village, and according to friends of the deceased, the accident happened between 11:30 p.m. and 12 midnight on Friday, October 21.

Locke was heading home on her cycle when she crashed in front of the Triple A Security Firm's office, which is located at Miles 2 and a half on the Phillip Goldson Highway.

Today, our news team visited with her family and friends to find out what went terribly wrong. Courtney Weatherburne has that story:

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Nitaya Locke had been working at Bravo Motors since April. She was the first certified female Junior Technician and she definitely left an impression.

Giovanie Ramos, Service Manager, Bravo Motors
"She always wanted to learn something new, in fact she took on the challenge. She actually came into my office about a week before saying 'you know what Mr. Ramos, we can't have only 2 guys doing installations'. She took the challenge and learnt it in a couple days. That was what caught my attention quite often, her willingness to step outside her comfort zone and do more than we expected her to do. The first time she walked in to do her interview I was skeptical, I was saying 'how can this young lady hold her own' and of course she put that to rest quite quickly. She came in and blew everybody out the water."

And it is at this work station that Locke did her best work. She was repairing the transfer case on this vehicle on Friday, one of her many tasks. But now her colleagues will have to finish the job for her. That's because Locke died in a motorcycle accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway.

Reports are that Locke was hanging out with her sister and some friends at the Pickwick Club on Friday night. But she left around 11:00 and as she was riding on her motorbike along the Northern Highway, she slammed into this post in front of Triple A.

Sr. Supt. Linden Flowers, OC, Police Precinct 4
"The investigation is still ongoing and it has revealed that Ms. Nitaya Locke of a Lord's Bank address was travelling from the direction of Belize City towards Ladyville when she lost control of the motorcycle which caused her fatal injuries."

Courtney Weatherburne, 7News
"We understand she didn't have on a helmet."

Sr. Supt. Linden Flowers, OC, Police Precinct 4
"Yes she did not have the helmet on however the helmet was attached to the motorcycle. I am at the scene and I asked the officers who were on the scene if they had seen anything that indicate any skid marks or any collision with any other vehicle and those were inconclusive and no I do not see any skid marks."

Dana Ramclam Flowers, Service Advisor
"I am still on shock because I don't believe it. Friday we saw her, we were teasing her, to just wake up Saturday morning to a news like that. It was really shocking, I had to text our service team and whatsapp to ask if anybody heard of her. It was then that everybody confirmed that happened."

But Locke's mom is still trying to figure out what exactly happed because she says she is not convinced of the reports she got.

Anna Buddan Rosales, Mother
"They said she was not riding with her helmet, I don't believe that for a minute. I passed her many times on the road and I don't know that it's her because she has on the helmet on her head. She was very cautious and so I kind of find this hard to believe. I have more questions than answers more than anything else because what they are trying to tell me and how interpret it are two different things. She is not someone who is reckless. That child can drive anything, she has her license in 6-wheeler, standard, automatic, cycle, anything you can think of, she was that kind of child. I will miss her with all my heart, she was my world, but I pray that God will give her the strength to go on because last year I lost my dad, three weeks after, my children's grandmother died, last month my brother died, now my daughter is dead Courtney. Sometimes I just don't know how to go on."

Locke had just returned from a technician training in Panama.

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