Tonight, the family of 57-year-old Rodrick Elijio, a resident of Kraal Road in Belize City, is mourning his passing, after he died early this morning on the Philip Goldson Highway. Police are treating it as a fatal traffic accident, but his family tells us that he most likely died from a heart attack while he was driving.
Police say that at around 2:25 a.m., they responded to a traffic accident at mile 21 and a half on the highway, in Gardenia Village. When they arrived they found an orange Nisan Frontier pickup truck on the right shoulder of the road in the direction of Belize City. It was under a tree, and it also had minor damage to its front portion.
In the driver's seat, the responding officers found the body of a man, later identified as Elijio. What police have been able to establish so far is that Elijio was driving in the direction of Belize City. When he arrived at mile 21 and a half on the highway, he lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road, and collided into the tree.
We approached his family for comment today, but they declined. They did want to clarify, though, that it was not the force of impact from the traffic accident which killed him. They tell us that Rodrick was suffering from heart complications for an extended period of time. They say that he had to take time off from work due to these difficulties.
We understand as well that the first responders found his vehicle still running, and that he had no signs of injuries associated with a traffic accident. Also, the airbags for his vehicle did not deploy, and its interior had no damage to it.
His wife and son are medical professionals, and they saw signs that he suffered a heart attack. A post-mortem, scheduled for the next few days, will confirm or deny their suspicions.
His wife is Nurse Augustina Elijio, who as viewers will remember, was stabbed by mental patient Collin Francis last month.
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