QCOSTARICA – In the eleven hours between Saturday night and Sunday morning this past weekend, 11 people lost their lives (9 of which were motorcyclists) and 18 others were injured in a variety of traffic accidents throughout the country.
Normally the Q does not do these types of reports, but the statistics of an average of one death per hour and 1.6 injuries, in only 11 hours, is out of the normal for a weekend.
Authorities blame drivers for not respecting traffic laws, excessive speeding given less traffic at night, and being under the influence of alcohol.
The accidents occurred between 6:35 pm Saturday and 5:10 am Sunday.
The first crash was a car with a motorcycle in San Rafael de Alajuela. A similar crash occurred shortly after in the San Isidro sector, in El Guarco de Cartago. And another crash between a car and a motorcycle also occurred in Curridabat. All these within 10 minutes of the first.
Shortly before 7 pm, a motorcycle flipped in Tamarindo de Santa Cruz de Guanacaste. The woman passenger died at the scene, while the driver was taken to hospital in critical condition.
A man died after a trailer crashed into 3 cars on Route 32, in the Guácimo sector, Limón, around 7:30 pm. A few minutes later, a crash involving 2 motorcycles was reported in Rita de Pococí, Limón.
In Quesada de San Carlos, a motorcycle skid occurred around 8:40 pm. A man was transferred in critical condition to the Hospital of San Carlos. The Red Cross also attended another crash involving 2 motorcycles in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Heredia.
Around 9:35 pm a crash between a motorcycle and a truck was reported in Aguas Zarcas de San Carlos, in Alajuela. Another crash involving two motorcycles was reported in Bijagua de Upala, Alajuela. A woman of approximately 18 years old was sent in critical condition to the Hospital of Upala and a man died at the scene.
Another crash between a motorcycle and a truck occurred in Río Blanco de Limón. This incident was reported minutes before 1:00 am Sunday, when Red Cross personnel confirmed the death of a man.
At 1:41 am Sunday, a crash between a motorcycle and a car was reported on Route 27 near Construplaza, in Escazú. One man died at the scene. The highway was closed off at the Guachipelin exit for some time while the authorities did their thing.
The bloody night continued, when shortly after 2:00 am a motorcycle crashed into a car in Río Segundo de Alajuela. One man was confirmed dead at the scene.
Another man died after a car overturned and hit a sewer in Venecia de San Carlos. This incident was reported 30 minutes later.
The Red Cross responded to another crash of a motorcycle against a car in the Castella sector, west of the Virilla river bridge, on the autopista General Cañas, at 3:15 a.m. Two people, a man of approximately 52 years old and a woman of about 35 years old, died at the scene.
The 5:10 am collision between two motorcycles on the parallel street of the Circuvalacion at Hatilo 8, sent two men to hospital with serious injuries.
Important to note that only deaths at the scene are counted in the statistics. The Policia de Transito do not tally deaths from accidents of the injured taken to hospital.
Please drive carefully and be mindful of the many drivers who don’t. Don’t become a statistic. There are loved ones waiting for you at home.