Forty-nine persons died over the Christmas holiday (Friday, 24 December at noon to 5 pm, Sunday, 26 December) in the DR. Of these, 40 died in traffic accidents — 15 in Santo Domingo, 7 in the North, 13 in the South and 5 in the East. Likewise, the Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia, coordinated by the Civil Defense, said that 11 persons died in brawls, one of alcohol intoxication, one of food intoxication, one of natural death and three in fires. Deaths this year were up 12% compared to last year. Ramón Franco, director of Operations of the Civil Defense, called for prudence to avoid an increase in victims over the New Year holiday. Police reports showed 25 persons died in traffic collisions, 62% involving motorcycles. The Police says it retained 240 cars and 57 motorcycles when their drivers were found driving under the influence of alcohol. The drivers were sent home.
