Thursday, May 30, marked one year since the tragic accident on RN 68, where a young student from Chicoana died and left forty people injured, most of them from the south of the Lerma Valley.
The bus from the Ale Hnos. company had almost 70 passengers, exceeding its capacity. At high speed, he was heading towards Coronel Moldes when, as he passed a donkey’s back, the driver lost control and the vehicle crashed into a stone wall and a tree. Since then, marches, complaints and efforts have taken place, but so far the victims and their families have not received a response to the civil damages being processed in the case.
A year has passed, and fear persists among survivors and neighbors, who are forced to travel again for work and personal reasons along the same lines, facing a fear that unfortunately marked their lives. “Some have been forced to avoid public transportation altogether. In addition to injuries, many lost personal belongings, such as wallets, credit cards and money, in the accident. The fight for justice continues, with insistence on the need to control speed and avoid the excess of passengers that still continues without controls and is maintained despite the tragedy and the damage left by this accident,” explained Mauro Fuenzalida.
The 70 kilometers that separate Moldes from the city of Salta represent a critical journey, especially for the inhabitants of towns such as La Viña and Guachipas, who depend on saturated transportation to reach Salta and that often does not provide the response to the demand for transportation. the users.
One year after the accident, the passengers ask for justice in Coronel Moldes. A young woman from Chicoana, who was on her way to study, lost her life in this accident caused by an overloaded bus from this public passenger transportation company.
A victim
Teresa Prieto, one of the victims, recounted how the bus was going at high speed towards Coronel Moldes and, when passing a donkey’s back, the driver lost control. The vehicle crashed into a stone wall, resulting in multiple injuries. Teresa, who was standing in the hallway, was thrown through the windshield and was found 10 or 12 meters from the bus. She suffered serious injuries, including a lost tooth and multiple bruises.
Teresa said that “I only received a visit shortly after the accident from a supposed manager of the company, who expressed concern for my health. However, when I explained that I needed money for my recovery, he told me that we would talk once I was recovered. He never came back,” the woman said.
Prieto added: “I don’t know who the AMT authorities or the owners of the company are. I don’t have a job because of this accident. And I continue to pay for the consequences out of my pocket. They never helped me during this time, I had to pay for everything.” on my own. They treat me at the public hospital, and we all know that the public hospital’s times are long. I asked for a CT scan in June and they gave me an appointment for November. Finally, they did it in January and I still can’t get a doctor. review those studies and give me a definitive diagnosis so I can proceed with the lawsuit,” said Teresa Prieto.
Last October they changed the transportation system in the area and although this meant a notable improvement, the problem remains unresolved.
The incorporation of Saeta line 5 was an important improvement for the community of Coronel Moldes and its surroundings. This new line has a total of 44 stops along a 133-kilometer route, connecting Salta with Coronel Moldes and extending to the Cabra Corral dam bridge.
