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Edificio judicial con columnas junto a una autopista vacía al amanecer, con un mazo de juez y un chaleco reflectivo naranja en las escalinatas
Sede judicial y seguridad vial tras la sentencia por el accidente de la Autopista 6 de Noviembre. · Imagen generada para EPM

Truck driver sentenced to three years in crash that killed five in San Cristóbal

A court in San Cristóbal sentenced Saudy Javier Abad to three years in prison, partially suspended, for the August 1, 2025 crash on the 6 de Noviembre Highway…

--- The context --- The case judged occurred on the 6 de Noviembre Highway on August 1, 2025, when a truck collided with five motorcycles that were on the median strip dividing the road. The prosecution file established that the driver was traveling in the truck driving recklessly and carelessly, which caused the collision. --- The facts --- The First Chamber of the Special Traffic Peace Court of San Cristóbal sentenced truck driver Saudy Javier Abad to three years in prison, granting the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office. Five people died and one person sustained permanent injuries. The sentence will be partially suspended: one year and ten months at the Najayo Men Correction and Rehabilitation Center in San Cristóbal, and one year and two months at liberty, subject to rules set by the Sentence Enforcement Judge. The court also ordered the criminal costs and a fine of 15 public-sector minimum wages in favor of the State. --- The positions --- The prosecution file states that the driver was traveling recklessly and carelessly and that this conduct caused the collision. The court found him guilty of violating articles 220 and 303, subsections 4 and 5, of Law No. 63-17 on Mobility, Land Transport, Transit and Road Safety of the Dominican Republic. The Public Prosecutor's Office had requested the maximum penalty provided. --- What remains unknown --- During the suspended portion, the convicted man must live at the same address declared before the court, notify the Sentence Enforcement Judge of any change, attend talks by the National School of Road Education on traffic rules and refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages to excess. --- Unanswered questions --- How will compliance with the rules be monitored during the period at liberty? When will the compensation owed to the victims by the convicted man, the truck owner and the insurer be settled? What preventive measures will be introduced on that stretch to protect motorcyclists? --- EPM analysis --- The ruling punishes causing a crash with permanent injury and involuntary death through reckless and careless driving. The convicted man, together with truck owner Saturnino Corporán, named as a third-party civil defendant, and the insurance company, must pay the corresponding compensation to the victims. Prosecutor Diandra Olavarría led the investigation, trial prosecutor Carolina Olivares represented the Public Prosecutor's Office, and Judge Ana Hernández Méndez issued the conviction, setting the full reading for November 17, 2026 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Breaking the rules may revoke the suspension and require serving the full three years. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, this sentence recognizes that behind each figure there are lives cut short and one person marked forever, and that recklessness at the wheel of a truck is not a minor mistake. Effective prison time, mandatory road education and judicial supervision seek to prevent as much as to punish. Their value will depend on rigorous oversight of the conditions and on compensation reaching the victims without delays or neglect. The full reading on November 17, 2026, will formally close this stage.
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