San Victor in the Corozal District continues to be a main passage for contraband - and on Tuesday night, a contraband chase resulted in a car wreck with one man sustaining serious injury.
Wilfredo Patt was driving a blue For Ranger which flipped - as it was trying to elude a pursuing Customs patrol mobile. His passenger Laurel Novelo received serious injuries.
Customs was on a stakeout and saw the pickup coming out of San Victor village loaded with contraband. They set chase and claim the Ranger flipped 2 miles our of San Narciso Village - going back to San Victor. When the driver lost control as he was doing evasive driving at high speeds.
But,the driver claims he didn’t lose control; he made a complaint to police saying that the customs pickup bumped him, forcing him to lose control and flip. Police told us more about his complaint:..
ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB
"Yesterday, police received a report from one Wilfredo Roger Patt who stated that on Tuesday night, sometime around 8:00 pm whilst he was leaving San Victor Village in Corozal District en route to his home in san Narciso Village and at the time, he was accompanied by one Lorel Novelo. According to Mr. Patt, upon him leaving San Victor Village, he observed that a vehicle was coming behind him and he felt several bumps from the vehicle. As a result he sped off, and later heard several shots fired. Somewhere during the course, he lost control of the vehicle and overturned and he made good his escape into the cane field whilst Mr. Novelo received several injuries and was transported to the Corozal Community Hospital and later to the KHMH where he is now listed in a stable condition. The police did visit the scene where a number of goods were found on the scene as well, most of which had been destroyed. We can’t say if they were uncustomed but most of the goods were damaged. We are only looking at it from the traffic standpoint, and as well that a complaint was made, so it will be investigated in relation to shots fired."
Reporter
"Sir, but are you all investigating the Customs Department?"
ACP Joseph Myvette
"Well we do not know whether or not it was Customs - so hence the reason for that part of the investigation."
Reporter
"So, you're looking for a second vehicle?"
ACP Joseph Myvette
"Yes, yes."
So while police are investigating - we note that they were reportedly chased out of the area by angry villagers after the accident.
The injured man Laurel Novelo has been on the news before. He’s the same avocado vendor who was strung up by police at the Michael Finnegan Market in that famous incident caught on cell phone camera.
Now, he’s in the hospital - again - after another contraband encounter with law enforcement. In this case, we are told it’s the customs department personnel who took him to the hospital after the accident.
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