An American cruiser from Texas who traveled to Belize was killed in a vehicle accident.
77-year-old Lake Highlands resident Carolyn Gillis died on Thursday, November 28, in a single-car crash in the city of Belize when the driver of a Ford Freestyle van lost control and flipped the vehicle several times. The woman was thrown through the windshield and died instantly.
This was the second time this week a Belize vehicle crash claimed the lives of American travelers.
The accident happened at about 3:45 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day on Phillip Goldson Highway close to Carmelita, Belize, police announced. Gillis was traveling in Belize with 6 family members on a Royal Caribbean trip aboard Liberty of the Seas.
Six family members were also on the excursion. 79-year-old husband, Dallas attorney John Milton Gillis, suffered a cut to his right ear, bruises to his right arm, and abrasion to his left hand, the police report said. Their son, 45-year-old John Milton Gillis suffered an abrasion to his left arm, while his wife, 43-year-old Lynette got cuts to her lower left knee and an abrasion on the right side of her back. Their 13-year-old son had an abrasion to both knees and right ankle while their twin daughters complained of pain to the necks and heads.
Henry W. Gillett, the driver of the vehicle, reportedly said the vehicle flipped after a tire blowout. According to the police report, local police served him with a “Notice of Intended Prosecution”.
At the time of the accident, the ship was on a 7-day, round-trip Western Caribbean cruise which departed Galveston TX on November 24.
For other Liberty of the Seas accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.