Last night, Monday 17 March, at least nine people were killed and another five were injured, including a child, when a truck hit a minibus at kilometer 16 at the Tabara crossroads on the Azua-Barahona highway. The high-speed, head-on collision occurred at 8:30pm. Night driving is strongly discouraged in the Dominican Republic.
The fatalities included Domingo Gerardo Figueroa, Pascual Cuevas Gomera, Wanda Gonzalez, Miguelina de la Paz, 46, Maria Encarnacion, 42, Maria Beltre Santana and Ronni Jose de la Rosa, 19.
The injured, Maria Luisa Santana, 19, Francisco Cordero Reyes, 40, the minibus driver Francisco Batista Nunez, a four-year old child and one other who is as yet unidentified were taken to the Dario Contreras Trauma Hospital in Santo Domingo.
According to initial reports, Francisco Batista (Mingo), the driver of the minibus, suffered fractures to his left leg.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/3/18/314786/Nueve-muertos-y-cinco-heridos-en-accidente-en-ruta-Azua-Barahona