Some 50 residents of western Ajijic’s La Canacinta neighborhood, as well as several surrounding barrios, gathered Friday, January 27 to collect signatures for a petition calling on local authorities to reduce the latent dangers pedestrians face in transiting the zone.
The move came after Maria del Rosario Ramos Balvino, 53, and two of her grandchildren were mowed down by a speeding car Sunday, January 22, around 8:30 p.m., as they attempted to cross the highway on foot at the entrance to La Canacinta.
Ramos and three-year-old Pablo Geovanni Hernandez Ramos were pronounced dead on the scene. Adeline Berenice Ramos Ramos, 12, sustained a skull fracture and other severe injuries. She received emergency attention from Chapala Red Cross first-responders before being rushed to a Guadalajara hospital where she remains under medical care.
Ironically, the victims and three other close relatives were returning home from the funeral services for a deceased motorcycle passenger (see story page 14) when tragedy struck again.
The driver of the 2000 model VW Jetta that struck them was identified as Miguel Angel Martinez Olvera, 43, of Guadalajara. He was captured minutes later by Chapala police about three kilometers east of the accident scene while under hot pursuit by several witnesses.
In his declaration to the MP, Martinez stated that the accident occurred as he was heading back to the city after dining in lakefront restaurant in San Juan Cosala with his wife and their daughter. He said he failed to see the three victims crossing his path because he was blinded by the high-beam headlights of an on-coming vehicle. He denied attempting to escape the scene, saying he had only set out to look for his passengers after they got out of the car and ran off when he pulled off the road at a nearby gas station.
He was remanded to the criminal court on January 25 on charges of manslaughter, injuries and material damages. The MP’s criminal complaint mentions third-degree level inebriety, speeding and flight from the scene as aggravating factors.
Neighbors demand topes
Interim mayor Moises Anaya and local traffic commandant Reynaldo Martinez were invited to the meeting called by La Canacinta residents, but neither appeared. Ajijic town administrator Javier Rojas and city hall official Jorge Castellanos attended in representation of the municipal government.
The main street leading into La Canacinta and a nearby bus stop are set in close proximity to a rise in the roadway that diminishes clear visibility for motorists and pedestrians alike. Neighbors recall at least a dozen cases of people being run over by speeding cars in recent years, including several fatalities.
The petition suggests the installation of street lights and topes (raised speed bumps) or vibradores (rumble strips) as viable solutions.
The people present ended up establishing a neighborhood committee for the purpose of following up on government response to the petition and addressing other common concerns, with three individuals named to serve as officers and three more acting as alternates.
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