This still happens

Conchman

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Jul 3, 2002
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A European national who has been living on the north coast for several years, had a tragic accident where a motoconcho came out from a side street going the wrong way on a one way street, driver without a helmet, at night without lights - and hit his truck, killing the motoconcho driver. There was no time to react (At least this is his version of events).

He spent several nights in jail as he was charged with manslaughter or something equivalent, which is normal here just about every time somebody dies in a traffic accident, especially when a foreigner kills a Dominican. He spent several nights in jail before we got him out on bail.

However, the outrageous part of what happened is that during the trial he got a 2 year jail sentence and was fined 1.5M pesos.

He wasnt gonna stick around for the appeal, even if he wins he would have to deal with the family of the motoconcho driver who might put a hit out on him. Needless to say, he skipped town (and country).

Just a reminder in what country we live in. Dont' expect a 'fair' trial unless you got the judge in your pocket.
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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Conchman said:
A European national who has been living on the north coast for several years, had a tragic accident where a motoconcho came out from a side street going the wrong way on a one way street, driver without a helmet, at night without lights - and hit his truck, killing the motoconcho driver. There was no time to react (At least this is his version of events).

He spent several nights in jail as he was charged with manslaughter or something equivalent, which is normal here just about every time somebody dies in a traffic accident, especially when a foreigner kills a Dominican. He spent several nights in jail before we got him out on bail.

However, the outrageous part of what happened is that during the trial he got a 2 year jail sentence and was fined 1.5M pesos.

He wasnt gonna stick around for the appeal, even if he wins he would have to deal with the family of the motoconcho driver who might put a hit out on him. Needless to say, he skipped town (and country).

Just a reminder in what country we live in. Dont' expect a 'fair' trial unless you got the judge in your pocket.
My advice has ALWAYS been DO NOT STOP if you have an accident.
 

BushBaby

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Totally agree Eddy. I put in the small proviso that one should advise the police of the accident via ones lawyer, insurance company & Embassy official but "STAY at HOME until the legal authorities & Embassies have resolved your innocence".

SO sorry to hear of this case Conchman - it is a blinding reminder of our frailty in a foreign culture & to be ever watchful for the stupidity of other drivers for whom Road Traffic Laws are only there to be ignored (until THEY are in the right, that is!!). The knowledge that you have been responsible for someone else's death (even when not at fault) is bad enough, to have that turned falsely into BEING your fault & causing you to RUN from the law, ......... well that is beyond comprehension!! ~ Grahame.
 

Snuffy

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May 3, 2002
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Perhaps...

they sat it up so that he would jump bail and forfeit the money...then they divide up the money amongst themselves. It is all a scam here.
 
Conchman said:
A European national who has been living on the north coast for several years, had a tragic accident where a motoconcho came out from a side street going the wrong way on a one way street, driver without a helmet, at night without lights - and hit his truck, killing the motoconcho driver. There was no time to react (At least this is his version of events).

He spent several nights in jail as he was charged with manslaughter or something equivalent, which is normal here just about every time somebody dies in a traffic accident, especially when a foreigner kills a Dominican. He spent several nights in jail before we got him out on bail.

However, the outrageous part of what happened is that during the trial he got a 2 year jail sentence and was fined 1.5M pesos.

He wasnt gonna stick around for the appeal, even if he wins he would have to deal with the family of the motoconcho driver who might put a hit out on him. Needless to say, he skipped town (and country).

Just a reminder in what country we live in. Dont' expect a 'fair' trial unless you got the judge in your pocket.


Like I told you guys in a previous post never stop if you have an accident!!!
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Insurance should have taken care of this

Having "been there and done that" the only thing that comes to my head is where was the insurance?

The man should never have seen the inside of a courtroom.

This appears to be an instance of no insurance or else ramrodding of the justice system. Something is not quite right.

HB :(:(
 

Pib

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Jan 1, 2002
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Hillbilly said:
Having "been there and done that" the only thing that comes to my head is where was the insurance?
My thoughts exactly. Insurance company legal beagles are the most agressive type you can encounter. It is their money after all they are defending.

Some things are not clear about this account of the events:

Why was he ordered to pay anything? It is the insurance company who has to pay, and they sure are hard to squeeze.

Why did he have to post bail? The insurance company does that.

Even if the family of the deceased would have wanted more money they would have to pursue a civil suit, and that is slow, very slow.

My dad's truckers have been involved in some serious accidents, even resulting in death (one trucker was even left paraplegic trying to swerve off the road not to kill some stupid motorcycle driver). None of them spent a night in jail, courtesy of the insurance company.

I will tell you an example:
My dad was passing a large truck on a two-lane road when a very drunk motorcycle driver deciced to pass both and turn right. Bad move, neither my dad nor the truck could stop that fast and as luck has it it was my dad who hit him. Dad picked him up, went to the police and told them what had happened and that he was headed for the hospital, the guy was DOA.

Dad was arrested (Easter Thursday) for investigation (what do you think, that they'd let you go on your word that it wasn't your fault?). Anyways, too late to post bail. Because of my dad been known in the community, and he was not a flight risk, he was placed in house arrest instead. He showed up on Monday to court, along with the insurance company lawyer, posted bail and went his merry way. The insurance company took over from there.

The insurance company settled with the next of kin (wife and five kids) and all was closed... or so thought my dad. The guy's brothers seeing that they didn't get a penny from the settlement sued my dad in civil court for I don't know how many million pesos (hey! They thought my dad was good for that money), they were laughed out of court.

Even the widow testified for the defense that the guy was dead drunk that day and added that the "best thing" that the deceased had done for his five kids "was getting himself run over by a car", she had opened a little colmado with the insurance settlement and the kids could finally eat regularly.

Yes, sometimes you are placed in circumstances that are not remotely your fault. Running away has never been a choice in my family. Sorry I can't relate to your friend.
 

rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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Pib said:
Yes, sometimes you are placed in circumstances that are not remotely your fault. Running away has never been a choice in my family. Sorry I can't relate to your friend.
Thanks for the firsthand account. A lot of times we (myself included) tend to relate stories where we don't know the parties involved (I am not suggesting that the IP did this). It's good to know that running away is not the way to handle a serious accident, especially if one is able to help the injured.
 

miguel

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Jul 2, 2003
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Si!!

Pib said:
My thoughts exactly. Insurance company legal beagles are the most agressive type you can encounter. It is their money after all they are defending.

Some things are not clear about this account of the events:

Why was he ordered to pay anything? It is the insurance company who has to pay, and they sure are hard to squeeze.

Why did he have to post bail? The insurance company does that.

You asked all my questions. If you have insurance, DO NOT LEAVE THE SCENE!!.

My friend's cousin was in an accident a few years back where 2 people in a "pasola" were not only drinking but also speeding and "boom", they his jeppeta and they both died. He called my friend, who was driving me to Santiago, I called my lawyer right away and all he asked was if he had insurance. He told me to tell him to stay there, not to leave, that he was on his way to the scene and for him, himself to call the police. True, the insurance "legal beagles" WERE BRUTAL, JUST BRUTAL.

The guy spent no time in jail. But if you leave the scene, even if you have insurance, and they catch you, it's headache time for you!.

Btw, he is a dominican citizen with no connections.
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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Here's one for the books

It happened a few years ago, a couple of hours past midnight. My teenage son Alan was struck broadside by an elderly couple driving an old Toyota Corolla going the wrong way across calle Las Mercedes in the Colonial Zone. The couple sustained light injuries on the legs, which required hospitalization. My son was jailed and the car landed at the Policia Nacional parking lot. I called a lady friend (lawyer) who volunteered to help. She went immediately to the Police and managed to get my son out of jail with the promise that he would return in the morning. However, the next day she told me to keep Alan at home. That night she called from the Polic?a Nacional and told me she had been arrested at her home for not delivering my son as promissed. She told the police that my son was a tourist and had returned to Venezuela. However, it seems the police were very kind to her, they let her stay in the Colonel's office instead of in the cell. She called later and told me she was sending a friend over to pick up a bottle of scotch and some money. The following day she was out, plus she also managed to retrieve my car from the police parking lot and take it to a shop owned by a friend. Later, I asked her to visit the poor elderly couple and offer my willingness to compensate them for damages. After agreeing to a generous amount, considering they were at fault, the couple, at the insistence of relatives, had hired a lawyer, who advised them not to take the money and sue me instead. I felt very bad for the elderly couple. My recently purchased used Yipeta was not under my name, it legally belonged to a deceased person with an impossible address, and I had previously been unable to apply for a change of matr?cula, since the car papers didn't seem to be all that kosher.
 

Pib

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Mirador said:
My recently purchased used Yipeta was not under my name, it legally belonged to a deceased person with an impossible address, and I had previously been unable to apply for a change of matr?cula, since the car papers didn't seem to be all that kosher.
Which is why we older people keep telling everybody to get legal on everything. Sure you can escape from the crime scene (not you as in you, but as in general), but if they ever catch you is payback time baby. You will be held accountable for everything anyone can come up with, even bad weather.

Check the back of your insurance card: There's a telephone number there. It is there for a reason.
 

TEHAMA

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Feb 3, 2004
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I am very sorry to read all of this. I am committed to taxi service. Now, more than ever. Hell, a weekend rental is even out of the question. They all drive like bats out hell. Just frightening.
TEHAMA
 

Pib

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Conchman said:
In my friends case I am not sure about the insurance, I have a feeling he didn't have any.
Well, it still is a good cautionary tale, only that the moral of the story is not quite the same as in the beginning.

For those who recommend that you abandon the scene of an accident I have a few words for you:

First, get your frigging papers in order.

Second, nobody here is suggesting that you stick around if you feel that you are in danger. You do not get points by been lynched by an angry mob. Drive to the nearest police station and insist that they help the injured ASAP, tell them that you had to leave because you felt threatened. Call your insurance company before you get there. If you are not in danger then try to help to the best of your ability.

Third, I hope that you are never in either situation, but think how sad it would be if the one on the ground was your wife, child, or relative. If the other driver runs away you will be always left with the doubt of not knowing if your loved one could have been saved, of knowing that the other person cared a least a bit more for that person than they would for a dog. Is that what you want for yourself? If not, you have no reason to complain when it happens to you. All I know is that my dad was comforted by the thought that at least he tried to help. It doesn't matter if it isn't your fault or not, there's a human being there.

Karma is a bitch!
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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A foreign acquaintance of mine who lived and worked in the DR for many years told me the following tale. He was in a publico interurbano (shared taxi) in the Cibao region, and driving along a dark rural road the driver struck a pedestrian and went on driving. He tried to persuade the driver to turn back so they could help the victim. The driver and the other occupants didn't want to know. Although this foreigner to some extent understood the reasons for their reluctance, he was distressed and appalled. Once he got to his destination he got a friend with a motorbike to go back to the scene, but there was nothing there.

This person clearly adored the DR and the Dominican people, but he said that this incident was a turning point for him and led to his decision to leave the country.
 

Mirador

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Apr 15, 2004
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...rural road the driver struck a pedestrian and went on driving...

Sounds like what happened to my current wife Altagracia, she was a child of thirteen then, and was struck by a bus while standing by a rural road north of Bani. The bus kept on going, and a passerby threw a tarp over her dead body, except she wasn't dead. After several hours, word got around to her mother Lourdes, that her daughter was lying dead on the side of the road, and her older sister Mayra screemed and yelled at passing cars for help. Finally the driver of an old pickup truck stopped and carted Altagracia along with the tarp to the hospital. Altagracia remembers nothing, except for the absurdly sweet words of a rhythmic ditty popular at the time, repeating again and again in her head, until she woke up a week later at the Dar?o Contreras hospital in Santo Domingo, her mother beside her, laying in traction for a badly broken leg, with bandages hiding signs of extensive surgery for the serious head wounds she suffered. Early today Altagracia told me it would rain. I did'nt have to ask her how she knew. Invariably, before it rains, Altagracia's 'bad leg' hurts, at the spot where her left femur bone is held together by a steel rod.
 

trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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Pib said:
Well, it still is a good cautionary tale, only that the moral of the story is not quite the same as in the beginning.

For those who recommend that you abandon the scene of an accident I have a few words for you:

First, get your frigging papers in order.

Second, nobody here is suggesting that you stick around if you feel that you are in danger. You do not get points by been lynched by an angry mob. Drive to the nearest police station and insist that they help the injured ASAP, tell them that you had to leave because you felt threatened. Call your insurance company before you get there. If you are not in danger then try to help to the best of your ability.

Third, I hope that you are never in either situation, but think how sad it would be if the one on the ground was your wife, child, or relative. If the other driver runs away you will be always left with the doubt of not knowing if your loved one could have been saved, of knowing that the other person cared a least a bit more for that person than they would for a dog. Is that what you want for yourself? If not, you have no reason to complain when it happens to you. All I know is that my dad was comforted by the thought that at least he tried to help. It doesn't matter if it isn't your fault or not, there's a human being there.

Karma is a bitch!


This post should be a sticky.

Just wondering, I was told insurance was very cheap in the DR. Is this true? My feeling is that there are absolutely no excuses not to have insurance if you own a vehicle. In Alberta, I pay $135 monthly, which includes car, house, and life insurance. I know people that, due to accidents and tickets, pay over $500 monthly for car insurance alone. If I were in that situation of paying $500+ monthly for insurance alone, there's no way I'd be driving.
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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trina said:
This post should be a sticky.

Just wondering, I was told insurance was very cheap in the DR. Is this true? My feeling is that there are absolutely no excuses not to have insurance if you own a vehicle. In Alberta, I pay $135 monthly, which includes car, house, and life insurance. I know people that, due to accidents and tickets, pay over $500 monthly for car insurance alone. If I were in that situation of paying $500+ monthly for insurance alone, there's no way I'd be driving.
I paid recently for my 2001 Isuzu Rodeo 41,000 pesos which is way more than you pay just for my car.

Escott
 

Pib

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Escott said:
I paid recently for my 2001 Isuzu Rodeo 41,000 pesos which is way more than you pay just for my car.

Escott
We pay 40,000 pesos/year. No discounts for not having reported any accidents while on this policy. Unfair and expensive, but that's the cost of having a vehicle here.

You can get basic coverage (will cover your legal liabilities but it will not replace or pay for repairing your car), it is about 2300 pesos/year. Funny enough the word out in the streets is that the cheapest companies have the best lawyers (Pepin anyone?). If somebody can't afford insurance he shouldn't be &%@()#$ driving.