Drunk driver ran over four street dwellers in Medellin

A man who was mobilizing in a private vehicle ran over four street residents in the depressed Oriental Avenue in the north-south direction, Villa Nueva sector, in Medellín (Antioquia).

The main version of the incident points to the driver moving in the middle of the rain and losing control. The vehicle ended up impacting these people while they were sleeping in a garden that separates the two lanes of the track.

As reported by the commander of the Medellín Transito, Luis Fernando Vanegas, one of the victims died at the scene and, although he has not been fully identified, he would be a man between 35 and 40 years old. The other three people were referred to hospitals for care, although one of them is in serious health as a result of the impact.

The official also confirmed that the man involved in the incident tested positive for breathalyzer, however, he could not be caught because he was not caught in flagrante. “It is important to note that this driver already had contraventional sanctions that are made from mobility and with evidence from the Judicial Police and the Ministry of Mobility they are available to the Office of the Prosecutor for all the investigation and the corresponding sanctions.”

“We call on all drivers to avoid driving while intoxicated and at high speed. That generates fatal accidents like this,” added the Transit commander.

One of the main shortcomings in this sector would be the lack of lighting. This was indicated by the Centro Civic Corporation of Medellín (Corpocentro), which drew attention to the Mayor's Office and Public Companies of Medellín (EPM) to meet the needs of the community. “At Corpocentro we have been following this problem for a decade. We have made multiple requests for new luminaires to be installed without achieving a definitive solution, allowing drivers to travel safely through this corridor.”

Another similar event that generated indignation in the community was that of a female driver, in an alleged state of intoxication, ran over Elkin David Correa Sandoval on February 26, who was subsequently rammed by a bus, causing his death.

The woman, identified as Osiris Cruzado, of Colombian-Venezuelan nationality, was driving the vehicle at high speed and did not notice the presence of this person in time. Witnesses told regional media that the woman had already added two violations before arriving at the site: they claimed that she invaded the exclusive lane of the tram and crashed another vehicle.

A month after what happened, on March 27, the hearing ended on the request for an assurance measure against the woman who overwhelmed and killed Correa Sandoval. The judge of the Twenty-Cinco Penal Municipal Court indicated that the person concerned would not be sent to prison, but granted a measure of non-custodial assurance.

According to the opinion, Cruzado must report, on a mandatory basis, any change of notification address or residence, he will not be able to leave the country, nor will he have a license to drive motor vehicles.

“The only thing we felt was that she practically had two women defenders, both the judge and the lawyer, because at no time were they right to us, it was always justifying everything that the defense lawyer said. That doesn't seem fair to us. Justice must be served in this cruel case,” said Yanet Valencia, wife of the victim in an interview with Blu Radio.

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