14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 28 May 2024 — The Toyota logo was barely visible on the destroyed hood of a car belonging to the Cuban Foreign Ministry that, this Tuesday, hit an almendrón* on the corner of 17th and G, in Havana’s El Vedado. The impact mark was left on the right side of the old vehicle – whose driver was taken by ambulance to the hospital with injuries – while the modern car had activated the airbag to protect its passengers.
Not a single one of the traffic lights on the Havana corner was working. Blackouts have put traffic in the capital in check and crashes due to lack of coordination of vehicles are becoming more frequent. A police officer guarded the place.
When 14ymedio arrived at the scene, the almendrón, which had overturned, was a few steps from the Toyota, both empty. We were struck by the fact that the first one – with a more resistant body – was more damaged than the second, which had more safety measures in its favor. Because they lack interior padding and seat belts, almendrónes are les