MIAMI, United States. – The violation of Law 109 (Road and Traffic Code) by the driver of a Yutong bus was the cause of the recent accident on the Morón-Isla de Turiguanó highway, which left seven dead and 59 injured, according to statements to the official newspaper Granma of Captain Norge Pérez Fraga, second chief of Police Instruction in Ciego de Ávila.
According to the official, the investigation revealed that “the driver of the offending vehicle, which was traveling from south to north, cut into the path of the Transmetro,” which was traveling in the opposite direction, in conditions of intense fog that made visibility difficult.
The official report comes several days after the event, which occurred on the morning of January 20.
Dr. Livania Lozano Lezcano, head of the Office of the director of the Antonio Luaces Iraola Provincial Hospital, stated that there are still patients hospitalized in different centers in the province, including six in Ciego de Ávila: five in care and one person in critical condition, identified as Aniuska Planché Speck, 38 years old.
Among the deceased are the drivers involved, Yuniester Oliva Artiles and Yohelvis Reino Veitía, as well as several tourism workers – Ezequiel Días Matos, Daniel Trujillo Rodríguez, Yaensy Conde Vega, Javier Henández Zamora – and, more recently, Michel Rodríguez Hernández.
The Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, commented on Facebook that, although traffic accidents decreased in 2024 compared to the previous year, this fact “reminds us how painful they can be and also points us to a beginning of the year with numerous massive accidents with fatal consequences.”
Cuban authorities cited by Granma reported that in 2024 there were 634 deaths due to traffic accidents, a figure slightly lower than that recorded the previous year. However, the number of people injured in accidents increased.
According to the meeting of the National Road Safety Commission, in which the Vice Prime Minister Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca and the Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, participated, in 2024 there were 7,507 accidents, which represents 12% less than the confirmed the previous year.
Pointing out that the human factor continues to be the main cause of the accidentsCuban officials mentioned that not paying due attention to vehicle control caused around 30% of accidents. Disrespect for the right of way, excessive speed and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, together with the poor condition of the roads, have also been the cause of accidents.
According to officials’ data, some 665 drivers were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. For driving while intoxicated, 1,204 licenses were withdrawn: 20 canceled due to repeat offenses and another 35 due to complaints of drunkenness.
Although the regime alleged that the poor construction structure of the roads is not the main cause of the disasters, it admitted that “in general they are in poor condition.”
