Robert Durand Reports on Fatal Accident in Boquete
By Robert Durand for Panama-Guide.com - Hola Don, My reporter's background is kicking in as tonight I have gotten more news about the Sunday morning "accident" in Boquete. My wife and I were on the way to church and were delayed over 45 minutes before a detour route was opened up for traffic. It happened about 9:30 this morning on the main road about six blocks south of the center of town. Two vehicles involved, one with four drunk men, and the other a taxi with four passengers. Reports tell that the "drunk" car came roaring out of a side street at a speed some estimated at 80 k/hr. It broadsided the taxi, in a true "T-Bone" which took two wreckers and the jaws of life to pull apart in order to extract bodies. (more)
First word was that three were dead and six critically injured. A short while ago, a friend who is a nurse and was a first responder, confirmed that two more died en route to the hospital in David, and it was feared that even two more had perished later, making seven fatalities of the nine people involved.
I do not have access to history, but locals tell me that there has never been an accident of this magnitude here in Boquete, perhaps even in Chiriqui.
Other than getting some gruesome first-hand accounts of the scene from the nurse, I do not have any more facts, but I assume the authorities here will have the whole story.
As I am now tutoring in the morning, I will not be available until tomorrow (Monday) afternoon, but if you need more info on this at that time, I will be glad to help.
I hope this gives you a "heads-up" as I am not sure how or when news like this gets out to the media.
Take care, and I hope you are feeling much better. Robert
Copyright 2008 by Robert Durand for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.
