Traffic Accidents

Yesterday. Motorcyclist dead in Monte Cristi having been slammed by an automobile. 23 years of age leaving a wife and two children and very despondent aunts, uncles and cousins up here. At least the wife and children had a chance with a husband/father. What kind of chance do they have now?

I hope you don't mind I E-mailed you direct with some questions.

Some of you might not want to hear this - but God is with them, and at least they have some family...

My father died when I was 14, and I won't lie, it hurt my family deeply. But we survived. The victims' family would only benefit in them - and us - petitioning God for His mercy.

The victims' family would greatly benefit from all of us praying for them.... the power of prayer has been documented by physicians, published in The American Journal of Medicine.

Join me in saying some prayers for them, because God is with them in their sorrow and grief.

Peace be with all who read this! Susan

I don't understand the point of this question? Sure it is a tragedy, as are the deaths due to accident, homicide, natural disaster, etc., that are happening all over the world every minute. But why highlight one individual killed in a motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic and make it the subject of a posting in the DR1 message board?

I apologize taking your valuable time Kenny. If you're so busy, just move on and don't take the time to read the post or take even more time posting a critical and worthless response. Are you a father? What if those were your wife and children? What if it was your life? A somewhat cursory review of the postings on this board over the last ten days will reveal many recent postings on traffic accidents. The ripple effect from that single solitary death has impacted many individuals both in RD and here in the states. In fact, I'm leaving my office now to go see the decedent's cousin whom I date up here. I'll point out your posting to her and you may well hear from one very ****ed off Dominicana. You just heard from one very ****ed off American.

Some people just don't get it Chris and never will.....you know of what I speak for sure.

Of course you are correct Chris. In the U.S. Canada and even more so in the UK and Europe at least now people are starting to realize it is unaceptable to drink and drive yet it still goes on with tragic results. Throughout the West Indies, not only in the DR it seems that police and governments tend to turn a blind eye to stopping the practice. Hopefully some day that will change and they will catch up to the laws in effect in countries like Denmark and Sweden. "Go directly to jail, do not pass go."

I'm sorry that another family has lost their husband, father, and possible provider, but I have several questions regarding this string of posts. Don't worry, I do get it, but welcome everyone's input, even the ones who want to jump all over me before they read the whole message.

1. I must have missed something in the original post, or it was unspoken, but who said the driver of the car was, or had been drinking before or during the accident? No information. Without information, I could also make the unjustified leap that the motorcycle driver was equally drunk, or had a Presidente in a bag also. This is illogical. Stay on track, read the information, and don't embellish the minimal facts given.

From the original post, all one can say is that one father was killed while on a motorcycle, and his wife and family will be without him. Their chance may be for all of the family in the US to send some money down every month so that his children and wife may go forward in improving their lives. Maybe God will give them a miracle. Maybe the best answer to the only question asked about "What kind of chance do they have now?" can only be determined by his wife and family's reactions and future actions in dealing with this accident. They can go on, or they can dwell on this for the rest of their lives, and do nothing. I doubt the second choice will happen here in Republica.

I also don't think that a lawyer here or anywhere else can go bird-dogging after the other party and win and/or collect with any form of lawsuit here. (Sorry Chris, but that is usually the point from which US lawyers start coming from, and the Republica isn't the US).

2. If anyone is looking to lay blame, why don't you blame a legal system that GUARANTEES that no matter what, the moto driver is ALWAYS correct and cannot be at fault in a motor vehicle accident, no matter how stupid or drunk he/she is or no matter what they do while on a moto? That's the law here in Republica. If you doubt it, ask a vaquero standing on a corner and get his opinion about this (forget an AMET or regular P.N. officer). If you don't believe a cop, ask a judge when was the last time he tried a motor vehicle accident case, and if so, when has he found a moto driver guilty of having any fault in an accident, and even if so, how fast did the politicians get it reversed because the moto driver was poorer than the driver of a car or truck, and if so, was any judgement other than prison received? Even with all of this, what benefit does the dead party's family receive from any of this?

Laws like this lead drivers of motos to do things they would never do if they knew they were responsible for their own actions, and not someone else. It would help to improve the situation here for the better, if the police forced moto riders to wear helmets, maintain their lights, and , shall we say, carry no more than 2 people on a moto at one time.

No matter what stupid driving stunts motoconchos may manage to pull off, they still manage to get run over and killed or maimed, and if they are lucky enough to live, much of the time they end up without an arm or a leg, or in a wheelchair. But no matter what happened, it legally wasn't their fault. No es mi culpa. There are plenty of stupid drivers on motos, and in cars, and in guaguas here in Republica. Driving is the scariest part of living here, and most visitors have got to be crazy to try and drive here in Republica on their own (Sorry about that, National Car Rental).

This is a tragedy that many families around the world face. Here in Republica, it is usually catastrophic compared to the first world, because things like vehicle insurance, life insurance, decent medical care, etc are unavailable (due to the cost)to the majority of the population. They are forced to accept whatever is thrown on them day by day, and then to deal with it. Maybe the only answer is to first make everyone in Republica rich enough to buy vehicle and life insurance, and then change the laws so that the lawyers can sue the pants off anyone who dares to do something stupid, has assets that they can grab, and go for it, just like they do in the US.

I am not heartless, just being objective. Please extend my condolences to his family. He is at peace now. His family needs to grieve, and then move on, just as the rest of us must do when someone we love passes away.

Yo Chuckie Baby: Nobody implied that anybody was drunk. You inferred it. What have you been drinking? Gringo Chris will be happy to match dollar for dollar that Gringo Carlos sends down there to the family. Put your money where your mouth is. I'm not bird dogging any liability and have not attributed fault to anybody involved in this occurrence. Finally sir, when was the last time you did a jury trial? My original post probably consisted of about four sentences. Your reading between the lines of those four sentences goes exponentially out of this universe. Your post comes from Uranus.

And Chucky: Before you make another attempt at superior intelligence, your response comes from the outer reaches of this solar system and not the universe. Unfortunately Uranus is not far enough away.