Truck and Classic Car Collision in Havana Leaves Three Injured

At least three individuals were injured following a collision between a truck and a "almendrón" classic car in Vedado, Havana, at dawn this Sunday.

According to a report on Facebook, the crash occurred shortly before 6:00 a.m. at the intersection of 3rd and 12th streets when the classic car was struck by a truck coming down the latter street.

"Around 6:00 a.m., at the corner of 3rd and 12th in Vedado, the loud noise of the impact between the blue almendrón and the green and red truck coming down 12th street woke up almost the entire neighborhood," wrote Raúl Córdova in a post featuring photos taken after the incident.

Córdova reported that "the driver of the almendrón was trapped and rescuers had to extract him," while "two young men fell from the top of the truck," though he did not provide details on the severity of their injuries.

"In short, a tragic Sunday dawn," concluded the post author. Photos show a fire truck and an ambulance at the scene.

According to comments on the post, it appears that neither driver adhered to traffic rules, which require slowing down and stopping if necessary when the traffic lights flash red and yellow during the early morning hours.

Issues with Traffic Lights and Safety Concerns

One user, Pedro Ricardo Sánchez González, noted that the issue at this intersection is that "the low-traffic hour signals are wrong; 3rd street has priority but has a flashing red light, while 12th, which has a stop sign, has a flashing yellow light. This leads to the problem where the driver on 3rd, knowing they have priority, does not stop at the red light, and the driver on 12th, who never had priority, sees the yellow light and thinks they do, resulting in the collision."

Sánchez highlighted that "the traffic light worked fine before, but after a repair, it was left like this: 3rd with a flashing red light and 12th with a flashing yellow, when 3rd always had priority."

Another Cuban, Artyom Chyornyj, also argued that "at that time of the morning, the traffic lights should be flashing yellow for 3rd and flashing red for 12th, or flashing red for both streets," concluding, "Regardless of the case, you can't rely on the low-traffic hours. Drivers should slow down before crossing the intersection and stop if necessary."

Although the incident did not result in fatalities, Robiet Pérez Pereyra took the opportunity to reflect on the irresponsibility of drivers and pedestrians on Cuban streets and roads: "The recklessness of Cubans driving and walking in the street has no limits. It doesn't matter if it's as a pedestrian, on a motorcycle, or in a car. What more do they need to call for common sense and prudence?"

Pérez analyzed that "it's one reckless act and accident after another, plunging entire families into tragedy, along with the material losses that are so hard to bear. Everyone feels untouchable until they end up crying. Please!!! And I'm not just talking about this particular incident; the streets have become a jungle beyond the power outages at traffic lights, the destroyed roads, and the deficient signs."

According to official statistics, traffic accidents decreased by 13% (543 fewer) in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2023. However, incidents on the country's roads and streets continue, and citizens are concerned about their frequency and the high cost in human lives and material losses.