The Viazul bus number 890, which was covering the Santiago de Cuba–Havana route, collided early this morning with a truck from the state-owned company EsAzúcar that was stopped due to technical issues on the Central Highway.
The accident occurred at kilometer 544, in the San Blas popular council, in the municipality of Camagüey, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.
Radio Camagüey reported that the incident occurred between 6:15 and 6:30 in the morning. The deceased victim was identified as Oney Castillo Matos, 39 years old, a mechanic of the broken-down truck that was on the road at the time of the accident.
The journalist José L. Tan Estrada pointed out that a dense morning fog impaired the visibility of the bus driver, preventing him from noticing the truck parked on the road in time.
The bus had left Santiago de Cuba at 10:00 p.m. on Monday and was carrying nine passengers when the collision occurred.
The eight injured were transferred to the Manuel Ascunce Domenech University Hospital in the city of Camagüey, all reported to be "out of danger," according to the latest medical report. The patient in the most critical condition has a pelvic fracture, but with no cranial or thoracic trauma. She was reported to be stable.
Dr. Alexander González Borges, a specialist with a second degree in Intensive Therapy and a first degree in Internal Medicine, specified that the patient is receiving joint care from the orthopedics and intensive care units, and that arrangements are already being made for a tomography to determine the most appropriate course of treatment.
Following the accident, an agreement between the National Bus Company and Viazul ensured the transportation of passengers who could continue their journey to their destination.
The incident adds to a series of serious accidents in Camagüey, turning the province into a critical point for road safety issues in Cuba.
In January of this year, a bus overturned at the Curva de Ignacio, kilometer 595 in the municipality of Jimaguayú, resulting in two fatalities —including a seven-year-old boy— and over 30 injuries.
In February, another bus also overturned in Cascorro, Guáimaro, involving 56 people, with five seriously injured and seven pregnant women affected.
The municipality of Florida was the scene, at the end of September, of the overturning of a trailer loaded with sugar in the downtown area, which knocked down an electric pole but did not cause any injuries.
The Central Highway experiences a high volume of interprovincial traffic under poor maintenance conditions, and morning fog is a recurring risk factor in that area of Camagüey.
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