标签： Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO – A massive nationwide safety initiative has been activated across the Dominican Republic as authorities implement the second phase of “Awareness for Life: Christmas and New Year 2025–2026.” Beginning Tuesday at 2:00 PM, the comprehensive operation mobilizes over 48,000 volunteers alongside multiple government agencies under the coordination of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).

The preventive campaign will maintain continuous deployment until 6:00 AM on January 1, 2026, focusing on road safety and major public gathering points throughout the country. COE Director Juan Manuel Méndez issued a compelling appeal for public cooperation with safety protocols, setting an ambitious target of zero fatalities during the New Year celebrations.

Méndez highlighted the demonstrated success of the operation’s first phase during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which achieved substantial reductions in several critical metrics. Preliminary data indicates markedly lower rates of minor alcohol intoxication, traffic accidents, and fatalities compared to the same period in 2024. The current phase aims to build on this progress by further minimizing preventable incidents.

The operation features an extensive network of emergency resources, including 1,301 fixed and mobile assistance stations, 250 ambulances, specialized rescue and extrication teams, mobile workshops, and pre-hospital care centers. Air support is provided through three helicopter units enhancing response capabilities.

Concurrently, the National Institute of Traffic and Land Transport (INTRANT) has implemented strict regulations for heavy cargo vehicles through January 2, 2026. These measures mandate special permits and restrict circulation lanes as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce traffic risks during this high-volume holiday period.

LA ROMANA – A severe multi-vehicle collision resulted in one fatality and significant damage to six automobiles on Monday morning along the Autovía del Este. The tragic incident unfolded near the Dulce River bridge in La Romana province shortly after 8:20 a.m., triggering a massive deployment of emergency services.

The deceased has been identified as 52-year-old Marino Vinicio Beriguete Montero, a resident of Las Yayas. Preliminary investigative reports indicate that Mr. Montero was a passenger in a white Daihatsu Delta truck. The driver of the vehicle, Yiwel Yorleny Abreu Ogando, emerged from the crash without physical injury.

A coordinated response was mounted by a multi-agency task force including units from 911 emergency services, the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transport (Digesett), firefighters, RD Vial, and Civil Defense personnel. The chain-reaction accident involved a diverse fleet of vehicles: a Toyota minibus, a Hyundai H-1, a Nissan NV200, a Toyota Vitz, a Toyota Corolla, and the aforementioned Daihatsu Delta truck.

Following on-scene procedures, the victim’s body was transferred under the supervision of forensic physician Dr. Benito Antonio Quelly Peña. All damaged vehicles have been impounded and relocated to Digesett facilities to assist authorities in determining the precise sequence of events and underlying cause of the devastating crash. The investigation remains ongoing.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic’s La Altagracia province have initiated a comprehensive manhunt following the escape of a pretrial detainee from a correctional facility. The incident occurred at the Anamaya Correction and Rehabilitation Center in Higüey, where Franklin Risel, a Haitian national facing homicide charges, was discovered missing during routine headcount procedures on Saturday morning.

Prison officials confirmed the absence was detected in Cell 18 of Pavilion C when Risel failed to respond during roll call. Preliminary investigations reveal that fellow inmates last observed the suspect during visiting hours, despite no official visitation records being documented under his name. The General Directorate of Penitentiary and Correctional Services (DGSPC) has launched a full-scale investigation into the circumstances enabling the escape, with search operations intensifying throughout the region.

The case has raised significant concerns regarding security protocols within the correctional system, particularly regarding the monitoring of foreign nationals awaiting trial for serious crimes. Authorities are examining potential lapses in surveillance and visitation procedures that may have contributed to the incident. International alert systems have been activated given the suspect’s transnational status and the severity of the charges against him.

Santo Domingo has inaugurated a critical infrastructure enhancement with the official completion of the connection between Ecological Avenue and Las Américas Highway. This newly established corridor represents a significant advancement in urban mobility, engineered to meet rigorous standards of sustainability, safety, and accessibility for all commuters.

The primary objective of this major public works initiative is to alleviate the persistent traffic congestion plaguing Santo Domingo East. By creating a more fluid transportation network, the project directly addresses one of the city’s most pressing urban challenges. Minister of Public Works, Eduardo Estrella, emphasized that this development exemplifies the government’s dedication to responsible and strategic public investment.

A key operational shift involves the rerouting of heavy truck traffic originating from the Multimodal Port. These vehicles will now be directed onto Ecological Avenue, connecting to the Juan Pablo II Highway and subsequently integrating with the Santo Domingo Ring Road. This strategic diversion is designed to prevent large commercial vehicles from entering and congesting the Las Américas Highway, thereby improving travel conditions for passenger vehicles.

The enhancement solidifies Ecological Avenue’s role as a fundamental mobility artery within Greater Santo Domingo. Officials project that the improved infrastructure will not only streamline commutes and enhance road safety but also generate positive secondary effects, including a potential uplift in local property values and an overall improvement in the quality of life for residents in the surrounding areas.

Santo Domingo witnessed an unprecedented surge in domestic travel during the 2025 Christmas season, with official data from RD Vial revealing extraordinary mobility patterns across the Dominican Republic. Between December 20-27, the nation’s toll plazas recorded a staggering 2,366,699 passenger movements, demonstrating a remarkable 24% year-over-year increase and nearly doubling the traffic volume documented in 2023.

The comprehensive statistics show an additional 452,778 travelers compared to the identical period in 2024, with the peak travel days of December 24-25 alone accounting for 460,017 journeys. This represents a substantial 29% surge from the previous year’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day figures, highlighting a transformative shift in holiday transportation dynamics.

Transportation authorities identified two primary catalysts for this historic mobility event: widespread family reunification initiatives and robust domestic tourism activity. The data suggests a fundamental transformation in travel behavior, with citizens increasingly opting for interprovincial journeys during major holidays. Officials have simultaneously issued renewed calls for traffic law compliance as the New Year’s travel period approaches, emphasizing safety measures alongside the celebration of increased economic activity within the national tourism sector.

The statistical breakdown provides compelling evidence of recovering and expanding travel patterns post-pandemic, with the 2025 numbers establishing new benchmarks for holiday mobility. RD Vial’s monitoring systems captured these movements through advanced toll plaza analytics, offering precise insights into the nation’s transportation trends during peak seasonal periods.

SANTO DOMINGO – Emergency services responded to a severe head-on collision near the floating bridge spanning the Ozama River on Sunday evening, resulting in at least seven individuals sustaining injuries. Preliminary accounts from eyewitnesses confirm the incident involved two vehicles that collided with significant impact.

Among those injured were three children and four adults, all of whom required immediate medical attention. First responders acted swiftly, with emergency units transporting the minors to Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Hospital for specialized pediatric care. The adult victims were concurrently taken to Darío Contreras Hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Local authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the precise causes of the accident or the current medical status of the victims, noting that an active investigation is underway. The crash caused considerable temporary disruption to traffic flow in the vicinity as rescue teams worked to provide aid and remove the damaged vehicles from the roadway to restore normal transit conditions.