A motorcycle belonging to the Traffic Directorate of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) was involved in an accident this Sunday after colliding with a car on the Almendares River Bridge in Havana. A video posted on the Facebook page 'Traffic Accidents in Cuba' showed both vehicles at the scene of the crash, with the causes and the condition of those involved remaining unknown.
The gray car, with dents on the driver's side, was left in the middle of the avenue, while the motorcycle lay on a side street. At the time of writing, neither the authorities nor the state-run media have provided information about the incident.
According to a comment from an online user who claimed to witness the event, the accident happened because the "car driver crossed the yellow line and did not notice the approaching officer, causing the collision and being responsible for the accident." The position of both vehicles in the video and the damages sustained seem to support this version, suggesting that the driver attempted an illegal left turn without noticing the motorcycle coming up in the designated lane.
Another user, identified on Facebook as Janier Chao Delgado, also stated that he passed by the scene and heard from witnesses that the PNR motorcyclist had died in the accident. "I went by there, and according to the people present, the police officer on the motorcycle died," he mentioned.
In recent times, motorized police officers in Cuba have faced significant losses due to unfortunate accidents. In mid-August, a motorized officer lost his life in a traffic accident in the municipality of Sagua de Tánamo, Holguín. A post in the Facebook group 'Accidents Buses & Trucks' reported that the crash involved the deceased officer and a truck, occurring at the so-called "Carpenter's Curve" on the Levisa-Sagua road.
Photos shared in the group showed the wrecked motorcycle and a red truck. Another post in the Facebook group 'News from Sagua de Tánamo' identified the deceased as Orlando Moreno Almaguer, also known as "La Picúa."
In late July, two other motorized officers were killed in an accident in the province of Camagüey. The incident happened on the curve before reaching Siboney from Las Tunas, according to reports on social media. One of the deceased officers was a resident of the town of Jiqui in the municipality of Sibanicú and was identified as Yuniesky. Details about the other officer were not available.