What are the 'spirits' called that live on the highways in the Yucatan?

We were on the Maya Riviera for our honeymoon and when the cab driver pulled out onto the highway, he made the sign of the cross. When one of the pengers asked if we 'should be worried', he explained that the Mayan's believed there were 'gremlins/gnomes' who caused accidents along the highways and he needed to appease them. He showed us a temple under a freeway overp where the 'spirits' lived and explained that people would toss candies out of their cars as offerings to the spirits. He gave us the Mayan word and I can't remember what he called them...maybe something that sounded like "ooshie"? Can anyone offer more information?