An American woman died after she was involved in a golf cart crash and a subsequent bar fight, authorities in Belize said Thursday.
Jennifer Lynn Griffith, 46, was riding in the passenger seat of a golf cart her husband was driving in San Pedro, Belize, when they crashed into El Norte Bar on Saturday night, police said.
That incident sparked an “altercation” with some of the bar’s employees, which escalated when one of them threw a conch shell that struck Griffith in the head.
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“It is my understanding that prior to the brawl, the lady was on a golf cart along with her husband, and it collided into a building with the golf cart during which she may have also hit her head,” police commissioner Chester Williams said. “She had a concussion. And that it was that collision that eventually led to the brawl. And, during that brawl, she was also stoned with a conch shell, which also caused her head injuries.”
Griffith was taken to the hospital but refused medical care and went home, only to return the next day with head pain, Williams told reporters. It was then that she succumbed to her injuries.
It’s unclear whether Griffith died because of the golf cart crash or the conch shell blow, authorities said.
“At this time, we are not able to say what the cause of death is, if she died as a result of the conch shell or as a result of the accident,” Williams said. He had asked the National Forensic Office to expedite the postmortem exam to determine the cause of death.
Williams said potential charges against the other people involved in the brawl depend on the results of the postmortem.
“From what I was made to understand is that subsequent to her discharging herself in at hospital, she had indicated to the police that she didn’t want anything against those individuals. So, they’re in custody, and they’ll be charged at the very least for disorderly behavior,” Williams said.
