Panama road slaughter underlined by twin accidents

WHILE THE DEATH of a young Panamanian woman cyclist on Sunday, September  20 grabbed the headlines and heartstrings in Panama,   elsewhere on the same weekend  the slaughter  on Panama’s highways continued  almost unnoticed  with two pedestrians killed by motorcycles and a third fighting for his life.

The brother of Josefa Jimenez Guerrero, 63, was killed on Saturday morning after being hit by a motorcycle in front of Plaza Carolina Mall in Domingo Diaz Avenue in Juan Diaz.

She was planning to go to his funeral mass on Monday, reports El Siglo.

At t 6:30 pm Sunday, when she and  her husband Gilberto Zamorano, 74 were crossing the main road in New Chorrillo Arraijan, in the community of Cerro Silvestre.  they were run over by a motorcycle driven by Eliel Salas, 24.

Josefa, whose body was thrown about 25 meters according to police reports  died at the scene while Gilberto is in Nicolas Solano.hospital hovering between life and death.

The motor cycle driver was also  taken to hospital.

Panama is moving steadily towards the annual 400 traffic death toll arising from over 101 reported accidents each day.