PUERTO PLATA – A devastating multi-vehicle collision erupted Friday evening along the Montellano-Sosúa highway, adjacent to General Gregorio Luperón International Airport, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries. The deceased has been identified as Luis Maldonado, 49, a Dominican-born U.S. citizen who perished at the scene from traumatic impact injuries.
Emergency responders transported two injured women, Jessica María Núñez and Daliza Mercedes Espinal, to medical facilities for urgent treatment. Authorities confirmed both survivors received immediate attention following the crash.
The accident involved three vehicles: a Grand Cherokee SUV (license plate G557313) carrying Maldonado, a Honda CR-V (G724999), and a Hyundai sedan (A755895). Notably, Hyundai driver Samuel Jiménez Zapete emerged physically unscathed from the wreckage.
According to the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation (DIGESETT), investigators are actively reconstructing the sequence of events that led to this high-impact triple collision. The crash has reignited urgent concerns about roadway safety measures along this perpetually congested transit corridor in Puerto Plata province, where traffic volumes consistently challenge infrastructure capabilities.