Three killed, one near death in rash of accidents
A 14-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl was killed and her nine-year old cousin left hovering between life and death on Sunday evening, April 26 ,after being hit by a mini pirate bus in Bajo Grande in the El Cope district of La Pintada, Cocle
Two other people were killed the same day in separate incidents adding to Panama’s escalating highway carnage.
The girls were walking on the shoulder of the road when they were hit. The driver initially abandoned the bus, but was later taken to the Dr. Rafael Estevez hospital suffering from with whiplash.
The two girls were taken to the Hospital Aquiline Tejeira in Penanome where the elder one died. Her cousin was transferred to Hospital del Nino in Panama City. Her condition was described as life threatening. Investigations are under way to determine if the driver was under the influence of alcohol reports El Siglo.
In the other fatal incidents misjudgments by the victims were contributing factors. A 45 year-old man driving an SUV on the Pan American Highway near his home in Cabuya, Chame, hit a curb and rolled over. He was not wearing a seat belt and was crushed and died in the vehicle.
A 58-year-old, was heading for work at 5.45 am when he decided to ignore the overhead pedestrian walkway at El Nazarino, Chorrera at ,and attempted to cross the four lanes of the Pan American to catch a shuttle bus. He was struck by a fast moving vehicle and killed