In a landmark ruling three years after a devastating highway accident, the High Court of Belize has determined that the government holds primary liability for the tragic collision that claimed the lives of two young students. The incident occurred on October 11, 2022, near Ranchito Village, when a taxi van carrying students from Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College collided head-on with an ambulance. The crash resulted in eleven injuries and the immediate death of 21-year-old Jorge Vargas. Seventeen-year-old Jaheem Williams succumbed to his injuries two months later.
Justice Lisa Shoman Nabi, presiding over the case, concluded that while all three drivers involved shared some responsibility, the ambulance driver and the state bore the majority of the blame. The court noted that the ambulance’s emergency lights and sirens were not activated at the time of the accident. The ambulance, driven by Louis Canelo, was reportedly attempting to overtake a truck en route to the Northern Regional Hospital when the collision occurred.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the school honored Vargas by erecting a memorial altar and planned to award his family an honorary associate degree. The court’s ruling now mandates the Belizean government to provide compensation to the families of the victims, marking a significant step toward accountability and justice for the affected families.