A patient who had just finished a session of hemodialysis and her daughter, who had undergone spine surgery, were struck after the tricycle they were traveling in overturned in a huge pothole filled with foul-smelling water in Cienfuegos. An elderly woman, a worker at a medical center, was also in the vehicle, and all three had to receive medical attention.
The patient, Dipsy Dueñas, reported this Sunday that the accident occurred last Friday as she was leaving her treatment: "That day we almost lost our lives," she stated while describing the pothole as a "black hole" filled with water.
Dueñas explained that she received a strong impact to the head that left her dizzy for a while, in addition to other blows.
Her daughter, who has two rods placed along her spine after surgery, began to cry desperately because she thought her mother might die.
The woman pointed out that she had just received hemodialysis and still had heparin in her system, which made her fear that a blow to the fistula could cause bleeding.
He also expressed his concern about the consequences his daughter could have faced if the accident had damaged any of the rods in her spine.
"Thank God nothing serious happened, but will we have to wait for something to happen?", he questioned.
The accident also resulted in significant material losses as, according to Dueñas, the water damaged cell phones, a laptop, an oximeter, a glucometer, supplies used for hemodialysis, medications, and other belongings they were carrying in the tricycle.
The patient also questioned who would be responsible for the physical and material damages and assured that both she and her daughter continue to remember the moment of the overturn.
He indicated that the driver was almost stopped when the accident occurred and warned about the danger the hole poses for someone who arrives at the location at a higher speed and is unaware of its existence.
Dueñas thanked the individuals who quickly came to their aid and highlighted the care received at the hospital's emergency room, where, she stated, they were treated with professionalism, speed, and kindness.
The danger of the pothole, located at the intersection of 63 and Calzada, was also highlighted by the official profile Las Cosas de Fernanda, which labeled it as a "death trap" and called for a response from the authorities in Cienfuegos, as if this user were not part of the regime's propaganda machinery.
Las Cosas de Fernanda stated that it had received reports that, shortly before Dueñas' accident, another tricycle had experienced an incident in the same location while transporting three children.
He also stated that the decisions to repair the area had been made over a week ago, but the danger remained unresolved.
Incredible as it may seem, this is far from an isolated case, as the deterioration of Cuban streets has even been acknowledged by the authorities themselves.
In January 2025, the Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, admitted that the poor accumulated condition of the roads influences accidents and the deterioration of vehicles, a situation he also attributed to a lack of resources, fuel, and specialized equipment.
Moreover, the flooded potholes have already caused similar incidents in other provinces.
In May 2025, for example, an electric tricycle overturned in a large puddle in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, while carrying several people.
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