Ventura killed in car crash.

yacht chef

Bronze
Sep 13, 2009
1,588
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I was just think that the MLB had not lost a player this year in the DR.
Very sad one every year. RIP 
 

billma90

Member
Aug 15, 2012
118
3
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70
Toronto
Enjoyed watching him play, very intense player. A short exciting life ended probably with one cerveza too many. sad.
 

SteveK

Member
Jan 23, 2011
78
19
8
Another terrible tragedy involving vehicles. Again and again, it shows how unsafe it is to drive in the DR.
When I go on vacations with my wife to visit family and friends, I would dread the taught of renting a car. The law needs to be strongly enforced against drunk driving, passing traffic lights and any other unsafe acts or else these types of tragedies will continue. My deep sympathies to the ball players and their families.
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,679
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Very sad. I hate reading about these guys dying like this.
RIP.
 

sanpedrogringo

I love infractions!
Sep 2, 2011
2,911
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The two were killed in seperate accidents last night. Yordana Ventura was a very close friend of Oscar Taveras, who was also killed in the very same manner. Upon the death of Jose Fernandez in September, he wrote the numbers of the 2 on his cap. What are we left with? This makes me so angry. 3 young lives ended prematurely by actions that could have been avoided. An earlier poster made reference to thank God no other lives were taken with them due to their negligence.....with this I must agree. Very sad, but very much avoidable.
 

Farmer

Antiguo
Dec 2, 2003
229
96
28
Yeah, we're pretty shocked here in KC. Not many here know how dangerous the Dominican highways are. A growing memorial of flowers, candles and photographs has sprung up outside Kauffman Stadium. The Royals have lowered the team flag to half-staff. Spring training is only weeks away but this will really, really hit us every fifth day when the season starts and that skinny kid ain't around to light up the radar gun.
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
32,471
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dr1.com
Yeah, we're pretty shocked here in KC. Not many here know how dangerous the Dominican highways are. A growing memorial of flowers, candles and photographs has sprung up outside Kauffman Stadium. The Royals have lowered the team flag to half-staff. Spring training is only weeks away but this will really, really hit us every fifth day when the season starts and that skinny kid ain't around to light up the radar gun.

The highways themselves aren't very dangerous , just some of the fools navigating on them.
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
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Yeah, we're pretty shocked here in KC. Not many here know how dangerous the Dominican highways are. A growing memorial of flowers, candles and photographs has sprung up outside Kauffman Stadium. The Royals have lowered the team flag to half-staff. Spring training is only weeks away but this will really, really hit us every fifth day when the season starts and that skinny kid ain't around to light up the radar gun.

please. highways are not dangerous. drivers are. there are people who traverse those roads every day, with the required degree of caution, and they never wreck, then 5 fools get killed because they are acting like morons, and we hear that the road is dangerous. funny how those dangerous roads never kill pedestrians.

half the problem is that these ballplayers , in the main, come from poor families, which never owned cars. they had no exposure until they signed the contract, then they go and buy high powered machines which require skills that they never acquired-
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
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like buying a gun and playing Russian roulette ...pure stupidity

my friend and i went to the capital on Thursday. i observed the driving, and  the only thing i wondered was how the death rate on DR highways is so low. it appears that nobody knows how to drive a car!! guys overtaking around corners, at the crest of hills, on the inside of traffic..in tunnels, for chrissakes!! .it boggles the mind.-
 

bob saunders

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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While driving I don't feel the tension because I am too busy being defensive but after I get home my shoulders and back are strung like piano strings. I am a fair fast driver and guys pass me like I'm standing still.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,479
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When I first came here ten years ago I actually enjoyed driving here.  The roads weren't completely congested and I could arrive at my destination without getting caught in traffic, or stopping at hundreds of traffic lights, or having to watch my speed in case I was going too fast.  I liked the idea that I could have a beer or two and drive myself home.

The downside of this was of course that everyone else drove with impunity.  Especially the motorcyclists.  However during these last ten years I have seen things deteriorate to the point where I no longer enjoy driving here.  My observation is that Dominicans have transposed their egocentric culture to the roads.  Here are a few examples of them:

If you stop at a red traffic light, a taxi will overtake the line of traffic waiting at the light and run the red light.
Taxi and guagua drivers just stop and pull out wherever they want with no regard to other road users or using their indicators.
Truck drivers usually drive very slowly in the middle of the road.  Many are spewing their cargo into the path of other vehicles, i.e. gravel, sand, water, garbage etc.
If there is a blockage in the road, they will not queue up patiently and let the traffic flow in single file.  Instead they will make five lanes of traffic in both directions causing complete gridlock.  Ambulances and emergency services would not have a hope in hell getting through to the scene of an accident.
Night time driving has become very perilous with the advent of LED lightbars.  They have no idea that blinding someone in the opposite direction is very dangerous.
The current road conditions are abysmal and there seems no impetus to get them fixed.  After all, we've just had an election.
And finally, my observation of the most obvious reason for the decline in road manners is that cars have become affordable to the masses.  Cars used to be very expensive here.  No uneducated working class Dominican could ever dream of owning a car.  But now they can.  So we now have to contend with a new dynamic of more inconsiderate, ignorant, moronic idiots behind the wheel instead of handlebars.

Perhaps a fatality of a high profile nature like this might stir something in the powers-that-be.  You never know, if famous people keep dying on the roads in the DR, they might do something to make them a little safer.

But having said that, what amount of enforcement can stop a rich young show-off Dominican ball player getting loaded up on booze and trying to impress his chica on how hard he can press the loud pedal of his brand new shiny sports car?
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
When I first came here ten years ago I actually enjoyed driving here.  The roads weren't completely congested and I could arrive at my destination without getting caught in traffic, or stopping at hundreds of traffic lights, or having to watch my speed in case I was going too fast.  I liked the idea that I could have a beer or two and drive myself home.

The downside of this was of course that everyone else drove with impunity.  Especially the motorcyclists.  However during these last ten years I have seen things deteriorate to the point where I no longer enjoy driving here.  My observation is that Dominicans have transposed their egocentric culture to the roads.  Here are a few examples of them:

If you stop at a red traffic light, a taxi will overtake the line of traffic waiting at the light and run the red light.
Taxi and guagua drivers just stop and pull out wherever they want with no regard to other road users or using their indicators.
Truck drivers usually drive very slowly in the middle of the road.  Many are spewing their cargo into the path of other vehicles, i.e. gravel, sand, water, garbage etc.
If there is a blockage in the road, they will not queue up patiently and let the traffic flow in single file.  Instead they will make five lanes of traffic in both directions causing complete gridlock.  Ambulances and emergency services would not have a hope in hell getting through to the scene of an accident.
Night time driving has become very perilous with the advent of LED lightbars.  They have no idea that blinding someone in the opposite direction is very dangerous.
The current road conditions are abysmal and there seems no impetus to get them fixed.  After all, we've just had an election.
And finally, my observation of the most obvious reason for the decline in road manners is that cars have become affordable to the masses.  Cars used to be very expensive here.  No uneducated working class Dominican could ever dream of owning a car.  But now they can.  So we now have to contend with a new dynamic of more inconsiderate, ignorant, moronic idiots behind the wheel instead of handlebars.

Perhaps a fatality of a high profile nature like this might stir something in the powers-that-be.  You never know, if famous people keep dying on the roads in the DR, they might do something to make them a little safer.

But having said that, what amount of enforcement can stop a rich young show-off Dominican ball player getting loaded up on booze and trying to impress his chica on how hard he can press the loud pedal of his brand new shiny sports car?

what you have said about affordability is exactly what i am talking about. 

anyone who follows motorsport recognizes the names Dale Earnhardt Jr, Dale Jarrett, Chase Elliott, Max Verstappen, and so on. these are all guys who became stars after their fathers were. they grew up around cars, and they learned to drive at the hands of accomplished drivers. by the time they were in a position to drive a car, they knew what to do. on the other hand, you take a guy from San Pedro who was accustomed to riding a bicycle, give him a multimillion dollar contract, and the first thing he wants is a Lamborghini. he can´t drive a Corolla with any degree of proficiency, but he wants to handle 650 horsepower. and, that is, after 12 jumbo Presidentes.
 

malko

Campesino !! :)
Jan 12, 2013
5,542
1,325
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And this is different from say the U.S. or many other countries how?

As bad as their driving habits are, Dominicans do not have a monopoly on stupid people continuing to be stupid when the get behind the wheel of a car. This happens everywhere. I would post some stats from other countries but I think that would cause the thought police here to delete the post so will refrain.

My concerns for driving in the DR are more the problems that will come about if one survives the accident in terms of dealing with the police and the court system. Accidents are unfortunately just that and outside of taking basic precautions if it's your day to be in an accident unfortunately their probably is not much you can do to avoid it. Of course basic precautions would include not drinking and driving.

BTW nice that you were at one time able to enjoy your beers and then drive yourself home...seems ironic given the topic of the thread.

Its diffrent because in europe ( and i guess the US ), the morons are punished for their unthoughtful acts. Are there more or less morons ? Anyone's guess really.
Here in the dr.......... man, you cant even take their licence off them...... they dont have one !!!!

I agree with the previous poster. It used to be enjoyable ( think GTA enjoyable :) ), now its plain dangerous, mainly due to the increase of traffic.

When I first arrived in the dr, and I saw this monster of a gas-guzzling truck of my wife, I was like " ggrrrrrroaaan ". I used to hate those things. Give me a small powerful compact anyday.
Then u realise the word of rule. The bigger, the better. Preferably with huge xtra metal bars on the front and back. Thats step #1 anti-accident.