Over 350 accidents resulted in 14 serious injuries, 133 light injuries
Between 00.00 hours on Saturday and midnight last night just GNR police registered, in their ‘area of action’, more than 350 accidents that caused 10 deaths, 14 serious injuries and 133 light injuries.
The figures do not include traffic accidents in areas of PSP jurisdiction.
The dramas played out in all areas of the country – even in the western Algarve, Saturday morning saw two incidents that left cars upended, and at least one motorcyclist badly injured on the ground.
Reasons behind the accidents have not been given, but in Melgaço – where four 19-year-olds lost their lives – and two others were seriously injured, the horrors emanated from ‘a game’, that the victims themselves were in the process of filming.
According to Correio da Manhã, the six victims were part of a group of 24 who were all camping in Lamas de Mouro.
“On Saturday night, after being in a café in the area, they decided to have a game that consisted of driving along the thin and winding road that connected the EN 202 and the entrance to the campsite at high speed.
“Cláudio drove, Gabriel who was a soldier in the army, was in the passenger seat and four girls were in the back. They drove the distance several times (according to an eyewitness) when, at 1.17am, the car went into a skid, hit a tree and immediately caught fire”.
People in the café nearby raced to help; one with two fire extinguishers. One young man managed to pull three girls out of the blazing car (one of these later died on the way to hospital).
The result is that today ‘Melgaço in mourning’, and the army is also lamenting the “dramatic incident” that claimed the life of one of its own.
But the sad reality is that this was a tragedy that did not need to happen: there was no need for such speed, beyond the gratification of ‘having a laugh’, which clearly did not result.
Elsewhere, no less than six motorcyclists (all men) died “in less than 24 hours”, CM continues – giving all the details of when, where and how.
The deaths of the motorcyclists were all the more tragic in that national road safety authority ANSR had only just begun a new five-day campaign: “2Rodas: Agarre-se à Vida” (Two wheels: Hold on to Life).
The campaign (involving police focused on motorbikes and motorcyclists on the roads) ended yesterday.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
