A violent highway collision near Belize’s Haulover Bridge on the Philip Goldson Highway Monday left 24-year-old motorist Emil Zabaneh seriously injured but alive, a miracle outcome doctors say could have easily ended in a fatality.
The incident unfolded when another vehicle pulled out from a nearby gas station and crossed into Zabaneh’s lane, blocking his path. Recounting his son’s version of events from the hospital, Emilio Zabaneh, Emil’s father, told local outlet News Five that Emil spotted the emerging vehicle at the last second, swerved left to avoid a catastrophic head-on crash, and was clipped by the other car on his passenger side rear panel. The impact sent Zabaneh’s vehicle spinning across the highway before it flipped multiple times, ejecting the driver from the cabin before he ended up tangled unconscious, hanging from the wrecked vehicle’s roof.
Initial assessments suggested the crash could cause life-altering harm: Zabaneh suffered a deep gash at the back of his head, and initial imaging pointed to potential spinal damage. But after conducting a full CT scan, medical teams confirmed that the only skeletal injury is a small hairline fracture in a lower vertebra, which doctors say will heal completely with extended bed rest and will not cause long-term mobility impairment. As of Tuesday evening, Zabaneh remains hospitalized for observation, is able to walk unassisted, and is in stable condition.
Family members have expressed cautious relief at the outcome, noting the incident could have ended far worse even without oncoming traffic in the opposite lane when Zabaneh swerved. The 24-year-old is still recovering fragmented memories of the crash, a common temporary effect of mild head trauma following high-force collisions. Local authorities have not yet released an update on potential traffic citations for the driver who pulled out of the gas station.
This report is adapted from a transcript of News Five’s evening television broadcast, originally published online ahead of a full newscast release.