One-year-old boy dies after being struck by father’s vehicle in Belize

Belize: A one-year-old boy died on Monday night, May 18, after being accidentally struck by a vehicle driven by his father in a Mennonite community in Belize. Orange Walk police are investigating the incident, and the case file has been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for instructions.

According to police reports, the accident took place on Monday night, at the family’s residence at Camp 53 in Indian Creek Village, Orange Walk District, when the toddler identified as one-year-old Peter Wall was accidentally struck by his father.

Reportedly, on the day of the incident, the father of the toddler got into his vehicle to leave the property for some work at around 8:15 p.m. The father started pulling away the vehicle without knowing that the toddler was wandering around the area or near the vehicle.

As soon as the father pulled out of the yard, the vehicle struck the child following which the mother of the infant frantically shouted and signaled to her husband that something was wrong. The father then immediately stopped and got out of the vehicle.

Upon inspecting the area, the child’s father discovered that he had accidentally run over his son and immediately checked his son and rushed him to the nearby hospital. But despite their quick efforts to save their child, the doctors pronounced him dead as he suffered fatal trauma from the collision.

The officers were contacted at the scene who have since launched their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. As the investigation is ongoing, ACP Stacy Smith, confirmed the news and stated the facts of the incident in a release.

The body of the toddler has been transported to the mortuary where a post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause behind his death. Initially the doctors suggested that the toddler has died due to the trauma but now are waiting for a report to know the exact cause.

The file of the incident has since been compiled and forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for directives.