The accidents also left five injured, one of them critically
14ymedio, Havana, 27 August 2024 — In less than 72 hours, three people have died in Cuba from traffic accidents involving motorcycles. Two of them occurred in Havana and a third in Santiago de Cuba. In all cases, the victims were young men, who died immediately at the scene of the accident.
On Tuesday morning, the first victim in Havana died after crashing into a vehicle while riding his motorcycle through an intersection at Fifth Avenue and 112th Street, in the municipality of Playa, not far from the Coney Island recreational park. Witnesses say that the accident occurred when an almendrón, operating as a collective taxi, stopped to drop off some passengers, and the motorcycle hit it from behind.
Although the identity of the victim is unknown, witnesses describe him as a young man who died immediately at the scene of the incident. The police cordoned off the area, one of the busiest avenues in Havana that connects the Miramar neighborhood, where dozens of embassies and hotels are located, with El Vedado.
Another 22-year-old motorcyclist also died last Sunday in the municipality of Boyeros, in Havana, after losing control of his bike. The mishap was recorded near a P10 stop that is on the bridge on 100th Street and Boyeros, according to a social media post.
The boy – identified as Yoan – was speeding and swerved to avoid a pothole. When he turned, he hit a curb and fell over on the street
A woman who witnessed the accident said in the comments that “the boy – identified as Yoan – was speeding and swerved to avoid a pothole. When he turned, he hit a curb and fell over on the street. He died instantly.” A few minutes after the accident “many people arrived, and there were relatives crying,” other witnesses added.
Also on Sunday, a Cuban teenager died after being hit by a motorcyclist in Santiago de Cuba. Identified as Kevin Quiala Suárez, 16, he was run over while leaving a bar, according to a report by journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on Facebook.
A witness told the reporter that Quiala Suárez “did not realize that the motorcycle was coming, and it knocked him down.” The motorcyclist “was going too fast. It hit him so hard that the motorcycle went down a block later – it was instantaneous,” wrote another person. Mayeta, a U.S. resident, also reported that the motorcyclist “was injured after the impact and is in critical condition in a hospital in the city.” In addition, the accident left two others injured, who are reported stable.
This Tuesday, Mayeta also reported another accident that left two motorcyclists injured after crashing in the intersection of Calvario and San Gerónimo, in the center of Santiago de Cuba. The identity of both drivers, who were transported to the hospital, is unknown.
Motorcycles, scooters and pedestrians were involved in 55% of the accidents recorded in Cuba between January and October 2023
Motorcycles, scooters and pedestrians were involved in 55% of the accidents recorded in Cuba between January and October 2023, said the Island’s traffic authorities, who added that they were related to 59% of the deaths and 50% of those injured in that period.
Likewise, many of the accidents occur because, as the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, has recognized, 75% of the roads are in fair or poor condition. Given this, the State has justified its null maintenance by the limited availability of raw materials and parts in asphalt factories. Another factor is the significant percentage of vehicles in the country that are between 40 and 70 years old.
Last year alone, 8,556 traffic accidents were recorded that left 729 dead and 5,938 injured. The authorities have said that the main cause of the accidents is the human factor, to which they attribute 91% of the mishaps. “The frequency and dynamics of traffic accidents in the country continues to be marked by the irresponsibility of drivers and pedestrians,” the official newspaper Granma said last January.
During the first half of 2024, according to the Transit authorities of the Ministry of the Interior, accidents on Cuban roads decreased by 13% (543 less), compared to the same period last year, while the number of deaths and injuries fell by 23% and 5%, respectively.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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