It is confirmed that two men died in a black Prado that collided with a cane
trailer outside Orange Walk Town just after 4:00 this afternoon. There were
four persons in the Prado, which was being driven by Ralph Fonseca Jr. - better
known as Ralphy. Fonseca Jr., son of Minister Ralph Fonseca, is confirmed dead
as is his passenger in the front seat, Ralph Balderamos. The two men in the
back seat survived and are in the hospital. They are Eugene Webster, popularly
known as Fatback and Wallace Stevenson, popularly known as Presho and were Fonseca Jr.'s sidemen. Both survived and are hospitalized at the
Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk Town.
From what we've been able to determine, Fonseca was southbound - heading
from Orange Walk to the city when near the bypass exit at mile 51 - a cane trailer
being pulled by a cane truck in front of him became unhitched. The trailer careened
across the road and slammed right into the front of the Prado. It caused a massive
impact to the front of the Prado which crushed and pinned Ralph Fonseca Jr.
and Ralph Balderamos. Because they were crushed inside, up to two hours after
the crash, the two men's bodies were still in the Prado.
As we understand it, Home Affairs Minister Ralph Fonseca left the country today
and received the news of the death of his only son while in Miami. Ralph juniour
worked as his father's political officer and was considered extremely
close to the senior Fonseca. We'll have more on the story tomorrow.