A routine weekend getaway ended in unimaginable tragedy for one Belizean family in late April 2026, when a multi-vehicle collision on the Trinidad–August Pine Ridge Road in Orange Walk District claimed three lives, leaving loved ones grappling with sudden loss.
Among the victims was 35-year-old Bryon Magaña, his 19-year-old wife Sherlyn Henriquez, and 29-year-old Selvin Cortez — a former work colleague who had become a close family friend. In an interview with local media, Bryon’s father Polo Magaña shared his grief over the unexpected passing of his son and daughter-in-law, recalling that the couple made weekend travel a regular habit, and always made it back home safe after their trips.
“They always come back. This weekend they never did,” Polo Magaña said. He added that authorities have not yet released a full, confirmed account of what led to the crash, leaving his family with unanswered questions about the circumstances of the collision. “I don’t know exactly what happened, if how they were coming, if they were drinking or what happened exactly,” he explained. Describing his son as a warm, caring young man who never failed to check in on his parents, Polo expressed the profound grief his family is now facing: “I will really miss him. We will miss them. We cried and cried when we heard the news last night.”
Local law enforcement has released preliminary details of the crash, confirming the sequence of events that led to the fatal outcome. Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith told reporters that Cortez was behind the wheel of the victims’ red Ford F-150 when the collision occurred. The pickup was traveling in the opposite direction of a Freightliner truck that was towing a cane trailer, when the Ford struck the left-front section of the trailer head-on.
The force of the impact sent the pickup veering off the roadway, killing all three people inside the vehicle immediately. Photos from the crash scene show catastrophic damage to the red Ford, with large sections of its frame destroyed in the collision. The cane trailer was left sitting on the side of the road after the crash, with its sugar cane load spilled across the pavement.
To determine the root cause of the crash, investigators have ordered a full toxicology report to test for alcohol or drug use by the pickup’s driver. Results of that testing are still pending as of the initial media briefing. Local outlet News 5 has announced it will air additional updates and full details on the collision during its 6 PM live broadcast the same day, as investigators continue to piece together what led to the fatal incident.