Santo Domingo.– Kelvin Ramírez, a fisherman who was in the vicinity of the Santo Domingo Malecón at the time of the accident that left two people dead, recounted that the fuel tanker had first struck the car that was driving in front of it, before overturning and catching fire.
According to Ramírez, the vehicle was struck by the tanker and subsequently moved onto the sidewalk. Immediately after the collision, the truck reportedly swerved to the right and, upon making contact with the ground, a loud explosion occurred.
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“I just heard the impact and when I turned around, that was when I saw what had already happened,” the fisherman explained while describing the moment of the accident.
Ramírez said he could not determine if the tanker driver was speeding or observe any recklessness, because he had his back turned when the collision occurred.
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“I only heard the impact and when I turned around, that was when I saw what had already happened”, he reiterated.
The witness, who estimated that the accident occurred around 6:30 in the morning, stated that there were other people exercising at the scene, as it is an area frequented during the early hours of the day.
He recounted that a man who was near the scene had to run toward the seashore to get away from the flames and, as far as he could observe, he may have suffered a blow to one of his arms.
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Ramírez also said that he tried to help the occupant of the vehicle that was in front of the tanker, trying to push it to safety, but the conditions at the time prevented him from doing so.
“My reaction was to run for my life,” expressed the fisherman, who stated that the fuel began to spread under the vehicle and also caused it to catch fire.
The accident involved four vehicles: an SUV, a car, a motorcycle, and a tanker truck carrying about 10,000 gallons of fuel, according to the National District Fire Department.
The authorities confirmed the death of two people and are keeping the investigation open to determine the exact circumstances that caused the accident.
