Step by step: this was the serious traffic accident in which former footballer Freddy Rincón was injured in Cali

The fans of Freddy Rincón, the historical footballer of the Colombian national team, were dismayed by the accident he suffered at dawn this Monday in Cali, capital of Valle del Cauca. In the last few hours, hundreds of people have sent their messages of solidarity through social networks asking for the former player's speedy recovery.

The former footballer, Hamilton Ricard, who is a close friend of Rincón, added to the shows of support: “We have to pray a lot for him, to have a lot of positive energy. It is a difficult situation, but we hope that Freddy will get through this situation, that we can have him again with us. I'm sending him a lot of strength right now.”

After being referred to the Imbanaco Clinic, in the capital of Vallecauca, it became known that his health condition was “very critical”. This was reported by the chief physician of the hospital, Laureano Quintero, in statements to the public: “Freddy Rincón was admitted to the clinic the victim of severe cranoencephalic trauma (...) He was taken to our operating room area from where he will move to the intensive care area.”

With the passing of the hours, new details of the accident that has the former player in a delicate state of health have begun to be known. According to the citizens' reports, a rumble could be heard about 4:30 in the morning of this Monday, April 11 in the sector known as Las Banderas (near the Pascual Guerrero stadium).

When a group of uniformed personnel from the Immediate Attention Command (CAI) in the area approached the aforementioned place, they were able to verify that it was a traffic accident between a bus of the Massive Integrated of the West (MIO) and a Ford 4x4 van, where Freddy Rincón was moving, apparently, together with with another group of friends, who were also injured.

The articulated one was prostrated almost head-on against a traffic light with the front completely destroyed. Meanwhile, the private vehicle ended up a few meters ahead of the highway, on a platform, and with visible damage to the right side.

Through the digital platforms, some videos of the local security cameras were disseminated, which gave greater clarity to the origin of the accident. The van Rincón was in appears at the bottom of the shot when a red light passes by. The car continues on its way and, when it tries to cross the main avenue, the MIO bus crashes it on the side at a considerable speed.

After the collision occurred, it is possible to observe that the traffic light changes color from top to bottom, indicating the transition to green in order to move forward. In a matter of seconds, some cars and motorcycles traveling in the area approached to check what happened.

Apart from Rincón, it has not yet been possible to clarify the identities of those who accompanied him in the van; however, reports from some national media speak of two women and one man. Likewise, the authorities have not revealed whether the car belongs to the former football player or not. The MIO driver also suffered injuries due to the collision.

The undersecretary of traffic in Cali, Edwin Candelo, reported that the driver of the public transport bus was tested for breathalyzer, which was negative. However, there is still no certainty as to who was driving the Ford van. “We believe that, due to the impact, the former football player was as a co-driver rather than as a driver. He could not be given a breathalyzer test due to his critical condition,” he added.

As was able to learn from W Radio, the vehicle in which the former footballer of the Colombia national team was riding did not have the Compulsory Traffic Accident Insurance (Soat), since it had been expired since December 1, 2021.

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