Near accident with a truck
Stefan Seiler works as the administration director at the hospital Diospi Suyana. His report refers to an incident of the night from June 8th to the 9th. His pregnant wife Tabea and his children Olivia Renée and Robin were with him in the car.
At 1:15am we came to the because of geologic faults unpaved part of the Panamericana right before Curahuasi. On the right side the steep drop-off, on the left side the rock face. Suddenly a refrigerated truck approaches us way to fast. The truck swerves. Instinctively I stop, put the car in reverse to back up.
The swerving became stronger. The truck flipped to the right and struck the steep rock face, then flipped approximately 10 yards in front of us onto the left side of the road and came to a stop. I got out to look after the driver.
Uninjured he climbed through the passenger’s side out of the driver’s cab. He was in shock and talked about that his brakes malfunctioned. The driver of the fully-occupied white mini bus, which the truck must have obviously passed further up the road, stopped and accused the truck driver heavily. He was driving way too fast. The trucks’ passing of the mini bus further up the road had already nearly caused an accident.
It was an extremely dangerous situation and we thank God for his protection! We realized again how hazardous road trips here in Peru are, especially on those windy roads in the mountains. /SS
