Director Of
Conservación Vial Suspended Over Bridge Accident
The accident of two weeks ago over the
Lagarto bridge has claimed the first public
official's head to roll, that of Benjamín
Sandino, the director de Conservación Vial.
The February 1 accident claimed two
lives when a passenger vehicle swerved to
avoid a pothole on the bridge followed by a
truck slamming into the rear, losing control
and slamming into a tanker truck full of
diesel gasoline, catching fire and blocking
the Interamericana norte for more than 24
hours.
The board of directors of the Consejo
Nacional de Vialidad (Conavi) that has been
looking into the cause of the accident has
called for the immediate suspension of
Sandino, as it investigates the real cause
of and who is responsible for the accident.
One of the possibilities that the Conavi is
looking into is the witness account of the
accident. Several witnesses say that
accident was caused by the pothole that has
been on the bridge for almost three years
without repair.
The ministro de Obras Públicas y Transportes,
Marco Vargas, said on Friday that Sandino
will face disciplinary action.
Vargas explained that the maintenance
contract with the Santa Fe company was not
renewed last June and that the
responsibility to repair the bridge and
other works on the road squarely fell on the
Dirección de Conservación Vial and that
everyone at the department knew about the
pothole and the lack of repair due to the
expired maintenance contract.
Sandino had said that at the time the
maintenance contract did not include bridge
repair, but rather, clean up of the highway.
Sandino did not offer any comment Friday
after the announcement of his suspension. |
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