A tragic traffic accident involving a motorcycle and a jeep occurred this Sunday in Marianao, Havana, claiming the life of one person and leaving another seriously injured.
The tragic incident occurred around five in the afternoon at the intersection of 51 Avenue and 94 Street in the Havana municipality, according to reports on various Facebook profiles.
According to testimonies from local residents, an electric motorcycle traveling on 94th Street did not stop at the stop sign located at the corner of 51st and was struck by a Willys jeep proceeding along that avenue.
The severe collision resulted in the immediate death of the motorcycle driver and serious injuries to his passenger, who was promptly taken to a hospital, reported the profile Cuba Denuncia.
Witnesses stated that the motorcycle driver did not obey the stop sign and merged onto Avenue 51, but that the jeep driver, who was transporting passengers, was also driving at high speed.
The images recorded by residents and passersby depict a heartbreaking scene: the motorcycle trapped under the bumper of the jeep and the body of the victim lying on the pavement.
Hours after the crash, the body still remained on the road, as reported by the independent newspaper CubaNet. The area continued to be cordoned off with yellow tape to restrict access, while agents directed traffic and officials from the Ministry of the Interior were present, likely engaged in investigative work.
Residents of the area told the press that accidents are common on that segment of the avenue, because there is no traffic light to regulate the flow of vehicles. Their ongoing requests for one to be installed have been ignored by the authorities, while pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers continue to be at risk of suffering an accident.
However, in the comments on the posts reporting the crash, many people believed that the fatal incident could have been avoided if the stop sign at the corner with the busy avenue had been respected. Meanwhile, others insisted that vehicles often travel at higher speeds than allowed on 51, which is also a crucial factor in accidents.
Several people also pointed to the increase in accidents involving motorcycles.
“Could it have been avoided?” asked the user Omero Rodríguez, who passed by the location at night. “Answer yourself and draw your conclusions. Are you one of those who constantly violate traffic laws and have been lucky enough not to be involved in an accident? Well, don’t waste the opportunity that life has given you; luck may not always be on your side.”
Until now, the authorities have not provided official information about the accident, and the identities of the deceased and the injured person are unknown.
According to data from the National Road Safety Commission, from January to August of this year, there were 5,025 traffic accidents in Cuba -41 more than in the same period of 2024-, in which 502 people lost their lives and 4,516 were injured.
In seven out of ten incidents, there were victims, primarily due to the collision of vehicles, which continues to be the "most dangerous" accident with 36% of the total fatalities, noted the official report.
Motorcycles and mopeds were involved in 52% of traffic accidents in those eight months, causing 32% of the deaths and 42% of the injuries.
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