Three die in car accident in Puerto Plata

posted on: Nov 27 2011 17:30 by The Reporter. Viewed 602 times.


Three young men were killed on the Malecon in Puerto Plata on Saturday night when their car hit a tree, after loosing control trying to overtake a jeep.

The dead were named as Jose Carlos González Imbert, 17 years of age; Fredin Cabrera, 16, and Franklin Marmolejos, 31, a former Army officer.

Gonzalez is the son of businessman Juan Carlos González Brugal, an executive at Vinícola del Norte, while Cabrera is the son of Freddy Cabrera, the treasurer at Puerto Plata Town Hall and restaurant owner.

The unfortunate accident occurred at about 7:00 pm along the Malecon coastal road of Puerto Plata city.

Witnesses who saw the incident told reporters that the occupants of the Chevrolet Camaro, recklessly tried to pass the driver of a jeep, just before reaching the curve near the now closed Caracol hotel. The road was reported as wet due to the rain which apparently led them to lose control of the vehicle which then hit a tree and burst into flames. One report suggests that the Camaro was running on nitro fuel.

Municipal fire units, rescue groups and the National Police arrived at the scene to try to help the victims, but by this time the bodies were  unrecognizable.

Later, relatives went to the Ricardo Limardo hospital morgue in Puerto Plata, to identify those who died.