Nightmare in La Romana for Oregon Tourists

[malko]

No big loss. Lots of pretty beaches elsewhere.

No big loss for whow ? The tourist ? Agreed.

But for the dr ?? If the guy is really innocent, I , in his place would make a rukus back home !!!
Same as in restraunt buisness, a happy diner goes home and gets on with his life.
An unhappy dinner gets up on his soap-box and yells it out to friends, family and the whole world.....

 

[Tamborista]

No big loss. Lots of pretty beaches elsewhere.

Another value added post, how would you feel if you hit a pothole in the road, and a mile later you get pulled over for running over Pedro the motoconchista?

 

[Eleutheria]

Another value added post, how would you feel if you hit a pothole in the road, and a mile later you get pulled over for running over Pedro the motoconchista?

If you read the original post, it refers to the driver not being able to return to the DR.
So I commented that it was NO BIG LOSS as there are many other places he can take a holiday that have pretty beaches.
I would feel awful if I were pulled over for hitting Pedro, and worse if I actually DID hit Pedro.

I love to drive but have made the choice not to drive here. All life is precious and I would never be dismissive about someone losing their life, as the man on the moto did.

Although it happens often here, it is an absolute tragedy. Made worse by blaming this poor tourist who (seemingly) had no part in the original accident.

Hope this clarifies.

 

[markryan]

No big loss for whow ? The tourist ? Agreed.

But for the dr ?? If the guy is really innocent, I , in his place would make a rukus back home !!!
Same as in restraunt buisness, a happy diner goes home and gets on with his life.
An unhappy dinner gets up on his soap-box and yells it out to friends, family and the whole world.....

Good of example of why most stay behind the gates in an AI. Everyone makes fun of them but with stories like this can you blame them? People are on VACATION they do not need this hassle.

 

[ZC1]

This story, this case, presents a very interesting dilema. The American says he didn't do it, that other witnesses on the scene said a truck hit the motorcyclist. It would seem that the American is 100% innocent. The general consensus amongst DR1-ers seems to be that he should have left the scene of the accident, that he was a fool for staying, despite his innocence.

Why do you all hold this opinion? Is it a total and complete lack of faith in the judicial system in the DR? Is it because you think the hassle of establishing your innocence would not be worth it?

Doesn't he run the risk of making the situation worse by running? He was in a rental car that apparently was not able to move. So presumably the authorities would have been able to eventually trace the vehicle back to him. By running, wouldn't he just be making things worse???

He seems innocent of manslaughter (accidentally killing the motorcyclist) and presumably he will eventually be vindicated of that charge. But if he had run, wouldn't he have been committing some other kind of offense, fleeing the scene of accident, or something.

I guess I am questioning the wisdom of those who are suggesting that fleeing would have been the best, or dare I say it, moral, move to make in that situation.

I agree with you. Tough situation but he had no choice. Had he left it is very possible that witnesses would have described the car/read his plates and then he would be screwed and looked guilty. US Embassy stepped in quickly and removed him from the jail. Unfortunate that he has to stay while this gets sorted out but that is why travel insurance is so important. In hindsight he should have taken out his smartphone and recorded witnesses on site, taken his own photos, etc. His situation sucks and will cost him time and money but thank God he andhis wife were not injured. Those that advocated he flee are exactly the reason why he is in trouble - the truck driver is just like they are.

 

[GinzaGringo]

Post deleted by moderator - not DR related

 

[the gorgon]

I agree with you. Tough situation but he had no choice. Had he left it is very possible that witnesses would have described the car/read his plates and then he would be screwed and looked guilty. US Embassy stepped in quickly and removed him from the jail. Unfortunate that he has to stay while this gets sorted out but that is why travel insurance is so important. In hindsight he should have taken out his smartphone and recorded witnesses on site, taken his own photos, etc. His situation sucks and will cost him time and money but thank God he andhis wife were not injured. Those that advocated he flee are exactly the reason why he is in trouble - the truck driver is just like they are.

i read a stat some time back that reported that 75% of all accidents in the DR are hit and runs. Dominicans do not stop when they get into a wreck, unless the car is immobilized. too many absurd possibilities. only gringos stop to pick up injured people and take them to the hospital. it never ends well. so, if you get into an accident, and you are injured, you are on your own.

 

[jkc]

Stupid tourists... That's what happens when you "want to do the right thing"....

Agreed! Why would you stay when the locals were all leaving the scene? Yeah, trying to be a good samaritan where people do not care!

 

[the gorgon]

a little over 10 years ago, i met a young guy in POP who had had an interesting encounter with the local police. a motoconcho guy, bobbing and weaving through traffic, had dropped the bike, and was laying injured on the street. the young gringo stopped to look at the wreck, and the next thing he knew was that he was in jail. someone made up a story for the police that he caused the accident by jaywalking into the street, and the rider tried to avoid him, and went down. the young man was made to pay the medical expenses of the biker.

 

[Kipling333]

Is jail automatic only if there is injury or is it for any accident?

It really all depends.. in the capital,there is a special office where you go after an accident. There are various police desks there and also representatives of the major insurance companies and you go through an examination by the police and give a statement and talk to the insurance people .It takes a long time but no horrible drama. I was there in the day time and can not tell you if it is open at night .
I can tell you that in Higuey ,if you have a minor accident, then try not to get the police involved but act very peacefully with the other party and try to sort it out yourself . If no one is injured and you are in bitter disagreement with the other party, you can spend many hours or a night in the police station , but not the jail . If someone is injured and the police come ,then you will definitely pass the night in a police station cell. It does seem wrong but best to do anything to stop the police being invovled. Definitely in la Romana ,where the police have a dreadful reputation...as does the fiscal. Just another example of going with the flow

 

[KyleMackey]

I have doubts about this story . The man said he speaks fluent spanish so it is almost certain he knows latin america .. he was warned to go away and the victim was already dead..so why did he hang around ..so what the police supposed to do when there is a car with airbags inflated a motor bike run over by the car and a dead cyclist .Of course he has to be detained. The using of the phrase third world country will probably keep him confined for much longer .

Spanish is probably the most learned 2nd language in the USA. If you learn as an adult it is more common the celebrate course graduation with trip to
to Spain. Speaking Spanish does not correlate to understanding the rules of the DR. You need DR1 or other sites to digest.

 

[businessdr]

Oregon couple detained in the Dominican Republic

This is unbelievable!

Oregon couple is detained for six months in DR.

Google it: Oregon couple detained in DR

This is not our "tropical paradise".

We are all behind enemy lines in this place.

 

[4*4*4]

We did that thread yesterday, or so.
Der Fish

Oh drat Der Fish, I was going to use all your clever insights from the last go round.

 

[dv8]

http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/154417-Nightmare-in-La-Romana-for-Oregon-Tourists

 

[CristoRey]

This is unbelievable!

Oregon couple is detained for six months in DR.

Google it: Oregon couple detained in DR

This is not our "tropical paradise".

We are all behind enemy lines in this place.

YOU COULD BE NEXT aranoid:aranoid:aranoid:aranoid:

 

[AlterEgo]

Threads merged

 

[franco1111]

It is unlikely that this man will be held in the DR for six months. A few days ago, a U.S. newspaper reported the man's sister says the charges had been reduced to speeding and even that charge had not yet been filed.


http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2015/11/overseas_arrest_strands_vacati.html

 

[GinzaGringo]

I posed the question as to what the correct action to take was in this situation. I suppose instead of pure wild a$$ guessing and armchair conjecture, we can just wait and see what happens to these poor people to see what the right thing to do is in this kind of situation, although I suppose every situation is a little different.

 

[4*4*4]

Since we all could be in this situation tomorrow, it will be interesting how this nightmare is resolved and someone could have avoided it. It is hard to believe that leaving the scene was the best course of action.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I find it hard to believe that if you scoop someone off the road and take them to the hospital you could be stuck paying the bill or being investigated for causing the injuries, but I have heard this story often enough that some of it has to be true.