Last night, we told you about a traffic incident in Ranchito Village, Corozal District that took the life of a young student. 21-year-old Jorge Vargas was on his way home from Centro Escolar Mexico, where he attended the junior college, when the busito he was traveling in crashed into a heavy duty Toyota Land Cruiser ambulance.
The six other passengers of the busito, including the driver, as well as the ambulance driver and the nurses accompanying him were injured in the incident. The injuries of the patient that the ambulance was carrying - who was a minor accompanied by her mother - are unknown at this time.
And while many in this incident had to be hospitalized in various conditions, Vargas died instantly, sending his family into dismay.
Courtney Menzies travelled north to speak with his cousins, one of whom was also the dean of the school he attended. Here is that story.
These candles and notes were placed here by the teachers and students of Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College following the death of one of their own.
21-year-old Jorge Vargas was on his way from the school to Corozal Town, where he lives, when the busito he was traveling in collided head on with an ambulance heading in the opposite direction.
According to reports, the ambulance, which was being driven by 33-year-old Louis Canelo, was trying to overtake a truck when it crashed into the busito, which was also carrying four other students.
Those four students were hospitalized with varying degrees of injuries, but Vargas was killed on the spot. According to his cousin, Dr Rafael Riveroll, his mother was waiting for a call around 3:30 saying that he arrived in town, but she never got it.
Dr Rafael Riveroll, Cousin of Deceased
"Yesterday evening, the mother, as she would always routinely do, she would pick him up at a certain spot in town so yesterday she did receive a call from Jorge, affectionately known as "Georgie" for us, he did call his mom and said that he was moving from school and that he would be picked up at My Lights at 3:30 but unfortunately that call wasn't made."
And Riveroll explained that he would usually leave school earlier in the afternoon, however, he stayed back for extracurricular activities, since his main focus was finishing school in December with honors.
Dr Rafael Riveroll, Cousin of Deceased
"Like anybody would know, like if you find out that a family member just passed away, it hurts. It's very sad. He's a fun jovial young man, he was trying to finish his last year of sixth form, he was about to finish and yesterday unfortunate due to some presentation they were preparing for, he had to stay back at school and that's why he didn't reach on time, 2:30 was his usual time to be picked up. I think it's shocking, it's shocking for all the family."
"Right now, he was doing Business and he was trying to finish up sixth form because due to difficulties then, now they managed to send him to finish sixth form so that was his main goal and I think right now it's more heartbreaking to find out that he did achieve his 3.0, honor roll, and he did receive some awards just day before yesterday."
"Very kindhearted, he was always, in the family reunions, he would always be the one who's, well, fun and he would be the one to cause jokes and he was always a loving person."
And as a sports fan, he also spent some time watching a volleyball match at the school's auditorium before catching the busito. And today, students in the auditorium wore black to remember him.
And according to the dean, Hugo Gonzalez, the loss is felt throughout the campus, with his homeroom class needing counseling sessions as well.
Hugo Gonzalez, Dean, CEMJC
"For me, it was a great loss, as it was to his family. Normally here at CEMJC we practice a family culture, and Jorge was a very active student. He was so charismatic, a little bit shy, but so charismatic and he had a lot of friends. When we got here this morning, a lot of the students were very sad. Some came to offer their condolences. Teachers are going through a difficult time trying to accept the fact that he is no longer with us."
"Normally this campus a very jovial campus so right now it's a little bit down. You could see it in the students' mannerisms and the way they're carrying about themselves."
And as for the other four students - three from CEMJC and one from BAJC - Gonzalez told us that he'd been checking up periodically on them since yesterday.
Hugo Gonzalez, Dean, CEMJC
"Currently at the Corozal Community Hospital, we have Anthony Tzib, who is from Patchakan Village, he's being treated there, one of the good signs is that the moment I walked into the room, he recognized me and last night when I went to assist by giving parent information to the doctors and nurses at the hospital, he didn't recognize me. So that was a little bit of a concern for me but I felt much better today when I walked into the ward and he called me by my name."
"I was made to understand that Armando Patt was transported this morning from the Corozal Community Hospital and is now being treated at the Northern Regional Hospital. Yesterday when I got to the hospital, he didn't recognize me but he did ask me to stay by his side and he asked me for a hug and I was there until his father arrived and then I moved to the other student. The other student is Aaliyah Marokin and I spoke to her, she was stable but she had suffered multiple fractures and she had an abrasion on her head."
"She's currently at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. I am very concerned, yes, she is one of the serious cases along with Armando Patt."
As for Jaheem Williams, Gonzalez explained that he is also at KHMH and needed an emergency CT Scan as he was in and out of consciousness. And today, his family posted on Facebook that they are trying to raise funds for additional procedures.
And while the families of these four students are hoping they pull through, Vargas' parents are trying to grapple with the loss of their only son, months before he would have achieved his goal of getting his degree in Business Entrepreneurship. But according to his dean, his parents will be the ones receiving it.
Hugo Gonzalez, Dean, CEMJC
"Jorge was about to graduate in December, and so I was having a conversation with my chairman earlier and the school does intent on having a program tribute to his life and we are going to issue an honorary Associates Degree to the parents."
And earlier today, the Ministry of Health and Wellness issued a press release expressing their condolences to Vargas' family. The release adds that the ambulance was transporting a patient from the Corozal Community Hospital to the KHMH in Belize City and that 12 persons in all were hospitalized following the incident. The release ends by saying, quote, "The MoHW strongly condemns irresponsible driving on the highways and is fully cooperating with the police in the investigation in order to determine the cause of the accident." End quote.
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