A motorcycle caravan accompanied the funeral of Nelson Pérez, a 23-year-old who passed away in a traffic accident in the municipality of Segundo Frente, in the province of Santiago de Cuba, a gesture that became a collective tribute and an expression of the grief of a community shaken by his death.
According to the report by Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, the young man died instantly after being struck by a tourist service vehicle that lost control on a dangerous slope of the road in Segundo Frente, just as he was attempting to merge onto the main road from the Loma Blanca area.
Pérez had stopped his engine to take the highway when the impact occurred.
The collision was direct and “did not leave any room for maneuvering”, detailed independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada on his profile, who cited local sources to reconstruct what happened.
According to those accounts, the vehicle was carrying two men and a woman who allegedly fled the scene after the incident because they were transporting "unauthorized products," a practice associated with the black market that, according to local residents, is common in that rural area.
The figure of Nelson Pérez was well-known in the community, where he is remembered as a reserved young man dedicated to fixing engine parts and closely associated with the world of motorcycles.
His death, which occurred as he was about to merge onto the road and without any chance to react, sparked a wave of outrage and sadness among family, friends, and neighbors, who decided to organize a motorcade to escort the funeral procession to his final resting place.
Residents of the area noted that there have been repeated accidents on that same stretch of road, due to the combination of dangerous slopes, road conditions and vehicle traffic that, as in this case, may be loaded with goods outside the formal circuit.
The escape of the occupants of the car, far from alleviating the impact of the tragedy, heightened the sense of helplessness and demand for justice in the municipality.
While the family bids farewell to Nelson Pérez, surrounded by the roar of motorcycles and the support of the community, the accident once again highlights the need for greater traffic control, measures against informal cargo transport, and actions to reduce risks in areas identified by the residents themselves as black spots on the road network in Santiago de Cuba.
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