Fourteen-Year-Old Driver Linked to Fatal Motorcycle Accident in Billy White

A 14-year-old boy is in police trouble tonight after allegedly knocking down and killing a man in a motorcycle accident in western Belize, a case that has renewed national concern over underage driving just days after police charged a teenager and his parent during a traffic enforcement operation in Orange Walk Town.  The fatal incident occurred on Saturday at about 6:40 p.m. Officers from the San Ignacio Special Operations Team (SOT) were returning to town after assisting police in Georgeville when they observed residents gathered along the roadside in Billy White Village. They were approached by Ali Gomez, a villager, who reported that his family member, Joel Mendoza, had been knocked down by a blue Meilun motorcycle driven by a young male.  Paramedics from Spanish Lookout responded and transported both Mendoza and the rider to the Western Regional Hospital.  Police later identified the motorcyclist as 14-year-old Irwin Torres who sustained minor injuries, including a small cut to the left waist and scratches to the left elbow and right knee. Mendoza, however, suffered a head injury and was listed in critical condition. He was to be transferred to Belize City for specialized treatment but succumbed to his injuries at around three o’clock yesterday morning at the Western Regional Hospital.  Assistant Commissioner of Police Stacy Smith spoke to Love News on the developing investigation.

The Billy White tragedy comes against a backdrop of intensified national traffic enforcement operations, aimed at cracking down on road violations, particularly incidents involving unlicensed and underage drivers.  Just one day earlier, on Friday, December 5, police in Orange Walk Town arrested a 15-year-old boy and charged his mother after officers discovered the minor driving along Aurora Street.  Upon intervention, the teenager admitted he did not possess a driver’s license while his mother sat in the vehicle at the time.  The teen, identified as Rodner Garcia, was charged for driving without a valid driver’s license, while his mother was charged for allowing a person to drive without being licensed.