Belize court orders compensation instead of jail in fatal Sandhill crash case

Belize : A driver in Belize killed 19-years-old Denia Rowland in a fatal car crash and court ordered compensation for the family, instead of jail for the accused. According to the High Court, the driver named Oscar Galindo is required to give five thousand dollars to the deceased’s mother instead of serving jail time.

The High Court’s judge Justice Derick Sylvester handed down the sentence against Oscar Galindo Jr., who pleaded guilty to causing death by careless conduct in connection with the death of Denia Rowland. Galindo must pay Rowland’s mother, Erica Garnett, five thousand dollars in monthly instalments of four hundred dollars, beginning July 1st. He faces six months imprisonment in case of failure.

The accident, in consideration, occurred around 3:00 am on April 6,2024 between Miles 17 and 18 on the Philip Goldson Highway, near Sandhill Village in Belize District when Rowland and her friends were returning from a football game in a Ford Ranger being driven by Oscar.

Rowland, 19, died after the vehicle overturned multiple times and she was ejected from the truck. According to court and police reports, Denia Rowland was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) in Belize City, where she was later pronounced dead at approximately 6:39 am.

Oscar, the driver, said he lost control after he was blinded by the bright headlights of a vehicle coming from the opposite side. However, one detail worth noting: police reported the vehicle was traveling from Sandhill toward Ladyville, not toward Belize City, when the driver lost control. The driver was reportedly under the influence of alcohol beyond permissible limits when the crash happened.

The court prosecuted Galindo to the lesser charge of causing death by careless conduct compared to the initial charges of more serious crime of manslaughter by negligence. Additional charges upon him are of driving with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit and negligent grievous harm upon Glenford Dougal, a fellow passenger and friend of Rowland.

Galindo was favoured with ease of charges due to multiple factors. He has no past criminal record, co-operated with the authorities, pleaded guilty early and expressed what a Social Inquiry Report described as ‘genuine remorse’.

His statement in the court read, “I cannot find the proper words to express my true sorrow and personal grief …. I humbly ask all the family and friends of the deceased, and those injured in the traffic accident to find the strength to forgive me.” he told the court, adding that he prays nightly for the Rowland family. “Every night before I sleep, I pray for those affected and I ask God to forgive me...”

Rowland was a 19-year-old call center agent from Lords Bank Village and is survived by her bereaved family.