Santo Domingo.– A
minibus with about 29 people on board fell into the Caribbean Sea at
kilometer 11 of the Autopista Las Americas, when its driver lost
control after reportedly fainting.
The
accident occurred around 7 pm, when the vehicle was heading
to the municipal district of La Caleta. Until 9 pm, officers from the Civil Defense had rescued ten bodies. Among the dead was the driver, identified as Roberto Familia, 44, the bodies of eight women, one pregnant, and a baby of two months.
A boat from the Navy arrived on the scene two hours after the accident and continued to search for more bodies.
Fifteen people survived the crash and received care at the Dario Contreras hospital. Among
the wounded were Argentina Medina Familia, 48, Jose Zacarias Gil, 28,
Marino Ledesma, 64, Belkis Guerrero, 42, Francisca Berigüete, Diana
Severino Montes and Jose Gil Lugo.
Written by: ateo2010 
, 13 Feb 2010 1:24 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Owning Noobs
sad sad sad. i knew someday it had to happen that freakign highway doesn't have the enough protection and also the driver of the bus probably was driving crazy both things cuased this fatal accident.
cause and effect.
From: United States, FREEPORT, Long Island.... (Look, beyond the words)
DR needs a transit Authorirty or make ti manditory for all public drivers to have a clean bill of health and the vehicels must be inspected every 6 months and signed off on by the government.
From: United States, Brooklyn
We need Highwy policemen LEONEL!
But don't get Josean of the metro gig... He love it there too much! jajajjajaja
Written by: hputters, 13 Feb 2010 3:39 PM
From: United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi
Tragic for all who were at that time taking the bus. Crash barriers should be installed and all heavy traffic including busses should a speed limiter installed on a max of 100km/h. Yearly check of verhicles and to be foreseen from a sticker by registered garages. No corruption for obtaining a sticker or the licence of the garage will be taken. Leonel do something man. All your nice trips abroad and regular performances will bring this country more down.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
The sea is not really very close at any point on the highway and the bus would have had to go across quite a lot of mown grass and through some trees to have reached the water ..I do not think barriers are warrented here although cars and trucks do go very fast and weave between the lanes on that stretch of road which is almost straight. There are far more dangerous stretches of road . Speed is more likely to have been a contributor.
A driver can faint or have a heart attack suddenly even though he may normally have good health ..it was a tragic accident that seem too common in the DR.
Written by: josean, 13 Feb 2010 10:04 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
rip
Written by: hputters, 14 Feb 2010 1:31 AM
From: United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi
Ricardolito. I donn't know how often you have drive Las Americanas but you should open your eyes. There are definetely places where the sea is within 5 mtr from the side of the road. Shall i send you some pictures??? I cannot remember a country visited where there are such a dangerous situations without barriers. Maybe death road in Peru !! Look it up in the internet.
From: United States
hputters, go easy on Ricardolito. he is the guy who said that the road between nagua and samana is 4 lanes, and Escott had to correct him. maybe he is in a different country, as we speak
Written by: josean, 14 Feb 2010 1:04 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
Dread,
It appears Ricky is back on the Purple KOOL-AID again.
It might just be a pre-election binge but after May 16th, depending on the purple outcome, he may get back on the wagon or a Bigger BOTELLA!
From: United States
TWO HOUR RESPONSE TIME from the NAVY! JFC people...no dive teams on the policias? No dive teams con bomberos? No barcos de policia o bomberos? La Isla de Monos.....you're losing lives underwater in 4-6 minutes....people with no water experience on the surface in near shore surge might last 10.....you're on your own when in La Isla de Maravillas
Written by: riosm, 14 Feb 2010 10:41 PM
From: United States
Not knowing all the details.......
One has to ask how could this accident of been avoided ?
Was speed a factor ?
I've driven many times on that highway, I got used to moving out of the way when one is on your tail.
My prayers go out to all the victims and there Families.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
I drive the Highway las Americanas every week and I can tell you that there is a grass strip mainly with palms all the way along and in maybe two small areas is the cliff close to the highway ..The road is 3 lanes in each direction and there are holes mainly in the middle lane going east but not bad unless you are speeding .
If I said there is 4 lanes from Nagua to Samana ,I meant to say that there are 4 lanes from near the airport to between Nagua and Samana and that highway is planned to be widened all the way from its present end to Samana .Sorry if my mind was going faster than my fingers!!
Exactly as riosm states ..the traffic goes so fast and ducks from one lane to the other and drivres tail gate ..this is all far more dangerous than the sea
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
I have reviewed what i wrote about the Highway from las Americas Airport to the Nagua- Samana road and it is 4 lanes ..two each way and the road from it's end to Samana is being widened ..I made no error but maybe some one thought that I meant the small airport between Samana and Nagua .
So I will try to be more precise and maybe Josean and Dreadlocks could withdraw their normal personal remarks which had no basis
Written by: xwill7, 15 Feb 2010 11:17 AM
From: United States, El cuarto bate
those minibuses are sometimes too full... Speed must have been the x factor
From: United States
Dogg Pound, i once asked about the response time in the event of a disaster here, and was torched by MrDom. 2 hours? near the capital, where the navy is probably based? hell, the US airforce could have had search and rescue helicopters here from Borinquen in less time.
Written by: eugenia1, 15 Feb 2010 1:23 PM
From: United States, miami
is a shame! this people call them self professional and arrive to an a emergency 2 our later making sure that everybody is dead. que debergueza people y no colage degree uldted done better
Written by: josean, 15 Feb 2010 11:38 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
eugenia1,
911, emergency response, police response, fire response in DR is joke. Just remember how these PLD clowns drowned people after Olga and mismanaged the response to Noel.
You see these things which are basic needs in a modern society are not a priority to them.
We still do not have adequate ambulance service in most of the republic but we have a METRO and a Faro de Colon.
¿Y No Era Pa’Lante Que Íbamos?
From: Dominican Republic
Ricardito... there are places in the road where you can see the sea splashing over the highway and spilling sea slippery water on the road.
Don't say they have to travel long and hard to reach the sea, because it is not true.
I much rather hit another car or a wall than to fall into a raging ocean anyday of the week.
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cause and effect.
We need Highwy policemen LEONEL!
But don't get Josean of the metro gig... He love it there too much! jajajjajaja
A driver can faint or have a heart attack suddenly even though he may normally have good health ..it was a tragic accident that seem too common in the DR.
It appears Ricky is back on the Purple KOOL-AID again.
It might just be a pre-election binge but after May 16th, depending on the purple outcome, he may get back on the wagon or a Bigger BOTELLA!
One has to ask how could this accident of been avoided ?
Was speed a factor ?
I've driven many times on that highway, I got used to moving out of the way when one is on your tail.
My prayers go out to all the victims and there Families.
If I said there is 4 lanes from Nagua to Samana ,I meant to say that there are 4 lanes from near the airport to between Nagua and Samana and that highway is planned to be widened all the way from its present end to Samana .Sorry if my mind was going faster than my fingers!!
Exactly as riosm states ..the traffic goes so fast and ducks from one lane to the other and drivres tail gate ..this is all far more dangerous than the sea
So I will try to be more precise and maybe Josean and Dreadlocks could withdraw their normal personal remarks which had no basis
eugenia1,
911, emergency response, police response, fire response in DR is joke. Just remember how these PLD clowns drowned people after Olga and mismanaged the response to Noel.
You see these things which are basic needs in a modern society are not a priority to them.
We still do not have adequate ambulance service in most of the republic but we have a METRO and a Faro de Colon.
¿Y No Era Pa’Lante Que Íbamos?
Don't say they have to travel long and hard to reach the sea, because it is not true.
I much rather hit another car or a wall than to fall into a raging ocean anyday of the week.