A traffic accident on Sunday night on the Duarte Highway left four people dead and a minor injured in the section between Bonao and Santo Domingo.

According to preliminary reports from the General Directorate of Traffic Safety and Land Transportation, the driver of a Lexus SUV traveling from Santo Domingo toward the Cibao region lost control of the vehicle, crossed into the opposite lane, and collided head-on with a car carrying five people. The crash occurred past the Falconbridge entrance, near La Minita in the Ingenio community.

The car was carrying three adults and two minors, all residents of Cotuí. Four of the occupants died as a result of the impact, while one child was injured but is reported to be out of danger. Authorities indicated that three people traveling in the SUV were not injured.

Units from the National Emergency and Security System 9-1-1, along with DIGESETT agents and firefighters, responded to the scene to provide assistance and manage the incident. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the crash, which has caused widespread shock in the Cotuí community where the victims lived.