Preventive prison ordered for driver who caused road tragedy in Los Ríos
The Dominican justice system has responded to the tragic accident that occurred on August 5, 2026, in the Los Ríos sector. The Fourth Chamber of the Special Traffic Court of the National District issued two months of preventive detention as a coercive measure against Manuel Joaquín Payán Morales, identified as the person responsible for a crash that claimed the lives of three people, including a minor.
The defendant must serve the measure at the Najayo Men’s Correction and Rehabilitation Center (CCR-17), as ordered by Judge Elianny Mena Ureña after evaluating the evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Incident details and state of intoxication
According to the investigation led by prosecutor Alcedo Magarín, the fateful event took place on Coronel Juan María Lora Fernández Avenue, at the corner of República de Colombia. The report details that Payán Morales was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck under the influence of alcohol at the time he struck the victims.
The breathalyzer test administered to the driver yielded a result of 0.91 milligrams of alcohol per liter of exhaled air, significantly exceeding the limits established by Law 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transportation, Traffic, and Road Safety.
Alofoke DeportesEvidence presented to the court
During the hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office strengthened its request with various pieces of evidence that directly link the defendant to the accident. Among the documentary elements presented are:
- The traffic report prepared by Digesett.
- The flagrant arrest report.
- The removal of bodies conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif).
- Official documentation of the vehicle and the driver.
As a result of the impact, Dieufort Gesner, of Haitian nationality, lost his life, along with another woman and a minor. The provisional legal classification assigned to the case is based on the violation of articles 256, 303 numeral 5, and 304 numeral 2 of Law 63-17.
The court has scheduled the mandatory review of this coercive measure for October 12, 2026, at 9:00 in the morning, the date on which the judicial process against Payán Morales will continue to be evaluated.
