The accident occurred at the intersection of Línea and Paseo and involved a rental car and an almendrón.
MADRID, Spain.- A traffic accident that occurred on Tuesday night, in the middle of electrical interruption that affected a large part of the west of the country, left two people injured at the intersection of Calle Línea and Avenida Paseo, one of the busiest areas of Havana’s Vedado. The event revived citizen criticism about the risks involved in driving with traffic lights out during blackouts.
The information was reported by the page The Scissors and replicated by several Facebook groups dedicated to monitoring road incidents, including BUS & TRUCK ACCIDENTS and Accidents in Cuba. According to these reports, a rental car (Tur) that was traveling along Paseo did not stop at the “STOP” sign; The traffic light at the intersection remained inactive due to the general blackout in the capital.
The lack of active signaling led to the vehicle hitting a green almendrón that was traveling along Línea from the rear. The impact moved the car several meters until it crashed into the pole of the same unlit traffic light. The images spread on social networks show significant damage to the body of the almendrón and to the metal structure of the crossing.
The driver of the vehicle and his passenger were rushed to a nearby hospital. So far no details are known about his health status.
The incident reflects a recurring problem: during blackouts, numerous traffic lights are out of service and road lighting is drastically reduced, while the presence of agents to regulate traffic flow is limited.
Official figures indicate that traffic accidents remain among the main causes of death in the country. Between January and August of this year, 502 deaths were reported, which represents 80% of the total recorded in 2024. That year ended with 634 fatalities and more than 6,600 injuries, a significant increase compared to the previous period.
According to the National Road Safety Commission, the majority of accidents are due to human errors, including lack of attention behind the wheel, speeding, violation of the right of way and alcohol consumption. Added to this is the progressive deterioration of the roads, a factor that specialists and citizens consider key in the increase in the danger of the road network in Cuba.
