A controversial traffic collision in Belmopan has sparked public scrutiny of local law enforcement’s investigative process, after one involved driver accused police of inconsistent conclusions and improper pressure to take blame for the May 1 crash on the city’s Ring Road.
The crash, which occurred more than a month before charges were filed, has put President of the Public Service Union (PSU) Dean Flowers at the center of a public dispute, with opposing claims from the other driver, Cory Middleton, over who bears legal responsibility for the incident.
Middleton, who sustained injuries in the collision and is still recovering, told reporters this week that he initially accepted the first account of fault police provided to him, given his impaired ability to recall details of the crash immediately after impact. But inconsistencies in the investigation led him to push for a formal review of the case, he said.
According to Middleton, after launching a second review, a senior police investigator concluded based on on-scene measurements and physical evidence that Flowers was entirely responsible for the collision. Despite this initial finding, the case was later reclassified as inconclusive, and both drivers were ultimately charged with related traffic offenses. Middleton claims that during the investigation, police repeatedly pressured him to accept fault and resolve the matter privately through insurance claims.
“I can not simply accept fault when my vehicle sustained all the damage from the collision,” Middleton said in his public statement. “I have everything on recording if anyone wants to verify what investigators told me. We both entered pleas of not guilty, and I’m only calling for full transparency and a fair legal process to resolve this.”
Flowers, however, has rejected Middleton’s version of events entirely, putting all blame for the crash on Middleton’s reckless driving. In his response to reporters, Flowers claimed Middleton caused the crash by speeding and making a dangerous overtake at the intersection where the collision occurred. He also confirmed that Middleton initially filed a statement accepting blame, before withdrawing the admission days later.
Flowers added that he is grateful no one was killed or suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, and that he is prepared to let the court system make a final ruling on responsibility for the incident.
This report is adapted from a transcribed evening television newscast, with all statements translated and formatted for online publication.