Driving In Panama Can Be A Scary Undertaking

Anyone who has driven in, or been a passenger in Panama knows that it can be like a  game of Frogger. I recently wrote about 6 reasons why driving in Panama is dangerous. This past long weekend, a tragic incident happened, which is something all drivers in Panama should be aware of.

A doctor from a small town in Panama’s interior was returning from his home after visiting family in a nearby village. He was driving at night, completely sober (this doctor doesn’t even drink), on a road that is familiar to him.

He came around a curve in the road, where he immediately collided with a group of people from a musical band. The group had been walking down the country road, at night, with no reflectors or any warning that they were on the road.

By the time the doctor realized there were people in the road, it was too late. He ran over a handful of them, tragically killing one. Because this older gentleman is a doctor, he immediately jumped out of his car to try to help all of the victims.

The crowd of people he had collided with were under the influence of alcohol after a long day of partying with friends and family. A number of men in the group became irate that the doctor had run these people over, even though he was doing his best to save the victims.

The doctor was stabbed four times by people in the band, and the attack only stopped after a woman threw herself on top of the doctor. The doctor was taken to the hospital for surgery where he is now recovering.

Though maybe the doctor was going a little faster than he should have been, he was sober and did everything he could to save the people he hit. That didn’t stop the crowd of inebriated band member from attacking him, almost fatally.

This should serve as another reminder to always drive carefully in Panama, and expect the unexpected. 

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Filed under: News on December 4th, 2008