Wheelies and motorcycle racing continue on the Las Americas toll road, the Autovia del Este and Route 66 Avenue that leads into the Las Americas International Airport, as reported in El Nacional.
Over the last eight months, road statistics show 14 fatalities linked to these activities. Huge sums of money are bet on some of these races, which generally take place on the weekends right under the nose of police authorities, Digisett agents and the military units assigned to the Ministry of Public Works.
Residents of Boca Chica, and La Caleta, together with merchants and rental car agencies located on Route 66 Avenue that connects the Las Americas Airport with the highway say they live in fear of these motorcycle races that take place five days every week. Local residents say that the saddest thing is that the young kids go out to race right next door to police stations and Digisett offices and even close to the tollbooths.
Among the victims over the last eight months, eight died as they were taking part in races and five of the victims were pedestrians, one of them a 75-year-old schoolteacher who was mowed down near the entrance to Boca Chica because of the reckless maneuvers carried out by the motorcycles. There have also been vehicular accidents resulting from their antics. Although a meeting of community leaders from Andres, Boca Chica and La Caleta was held with the director of the National Police, no apparent action has been taken to end the races.
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El Nacional
17 December 2018
