A first-year Psychology student died on Wednesday afternoon after being hit by a bus from the RED system (Santiago's public bus network) at the intersection of Alameda Bernardo O'Higgins and Manuel Rodríguez, near the Los Héroes station of the Metro de Santiago (the capital's subway system), in the comuna (municipality) of Santiago. According to Emol, the young woman was 19 years old.
According to T13, the victim was leaving her university when, for reasons under investigation, she apparently fell at an unauthorized crossing and was run over by the bus. She died at the scene due to the severity of her injuries. Carabineros (Chile's national police) reported that the bus was carrying passengers at the time.
Major Nicolás Silva, of the Carabineros 32nd Traffic Precinct, confirmed the death. "I can say that it is a female person, an adult", he said. Asked by BioBioChile about the possibility that she crossed at an unauthorized crossing, he replied that this is a matter under investigation.
The Fiscalía (Public Prosecutor's Office) ordered the Carabineros Traffic Accident Investigation Section (SIAT) to carry out forensic work at the scene to determine how the collision happened. For now it is unclear whether the driver committed any violation.
The bus driver was arrested. Silva explained that, on the Fiscalía's instructions, he was given blood alcohol and Intoxilyzer tests, which as far as he understood had already been done. Emol reported that a drug test was also administered and that the results are not yet known.
The accident forced traffic on the Alameda to be diverted and closed. According to BioBioChile, congestion stretched as far as Avenida Portales, while Emol, citing the same officer, placed the limit at Avenida Portugal. Traffic was reopened at around 20:00.
Once Carabineros hands over its findings to the Ministerio Público (Public Prosecutor's Office), the Fiscalía will decide whether the driver is summoned to appear later or brought to a detention hearing (control de detención) before a juez de garantía (pretrial judge).
