A tragic accident occurred last Saturday, November 30, near the University of Matanzas (UMCC), shocking the community after social media posts emerged reporting an alleged hit-and-run incident.
A 20-year-old law student was reportedly hit by a vehicle, and the driver fled the scene. This incident has sparked a strong outcry for justice on social media.
According to the account of Lachy Félix Marrero Hernández, an internet user who claimed to have found the young woman's body, the incident occurred around 6:35 p.m. as she was returning from work.
According to his account, published in the Facebook group 'Accidentes Automovilísticos en Cuba', Marrero Hernández stopped his vehicle after being alerted by his passengers about a person lying on the road.
Upon approaching, he verified that the young woman had no vital signs. He immediately notified the authorities and stayed at the scene until the arrival of the emergency medical services and the National Revolutionary Police.
In the Facebook group 'Ciudad de Matanzas en Fotos,' an anonymous participant provided details about the tragic incident.
"The girl who was hit yesterday at the bus stop near the University of Matanzas was named Daylín Sánchez. As everyone knows, the driver of the vehicle that hit her fled the scene. She was found a few minutes later, already without life, by another driver," the user stated.
According to this source, Sánchez "was studying law, was from Jagüey Grande, and was on a scholarship at the university. He didn't travel to his hometown every weekend due to transportation issues."
This information has not been confirmed by the authorities in Matanzas or by the local official press, which, at the time of writing this note, is not reporting on the tragedy that presumably cost the life of a young university student.
"At the time of the accident, there was a blackout in that dark area. As she was leaving the University and crossing the dangerous road to the bus stop, she was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene," noted the user from the mentioned Facebook group, highlighting the power outages that daily impact the lives of Cubans as one of the factors contributing to the accident.
In addition, he mentioned that "apparently, the car that hit her was a modern vehicle. There were broken glass pieces from the supposed headlight of the car at the scene, and there were fragments of plastic that might be from the bumper or front part of the vehicle."
“She did not have any personal identification documents on her, just her phone, which was broken from the impact of the accident. Finally, this Sunday, December 1, around 5 PM, university professors and family members were able to identify her body,” the internet user stated.
In his report, the internet user stated that the young woman's body "is already with her family to be mourned and laid to rest," that Sánchez had turned 20 on October 11, and that she was in her second year at the Law School.
"The uncertainty regarding the identification of the body has come to an end, but not for the one who ran them over and fled," she concluded.
Cry for justice
On social media, the community has expressed outrage over the hit-and-run incident. Messages of condolence are mingled with calls for the authorities to investigate and clarify the case. "The person responsible must pay for this inhumane act of leaving the young woman abandoned," wrote one user.
The tragic incident once again raises concerns about road safety conditions in Cuba, especially in poorly lit areas with heavy pedestrian traffic.
The case of Sánchez also highlights the issue of hit-and-runs in Cuba, a troubling situation that has claimed several lives and left a trail of impunity in various cases.
In January, a cyclist was hit by the driver of a Moskvich in Havana, who left the scene without offering assistance to the victim. Although the cyclist survived, the injuries were severe, and the case sparked outrage on social media, where users demanded the identification and punishment of the responsible party.
In mid-December 2023, a motorcyclist collided with a young man in Santiago de Cuba, fleeing immediately after the accident. The victim sustained severe injuries, and there has been no report of a resolution in the case.
Days before this incident, a boy was also hit by a motorist in Havana who fled the scene after the impact. Although the child survived, the case sparked debates about the disregard for traffic regulations and the need for greater control on the roads.
Less fortunate was the motorcyclist who, in April 2023, was the victim of a hit-and-run. The man, who worked for a delivery service, died following the accident.
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