María Alejandra Flores Rodríguez, a young Colombian national, passed away this Friday after fighting for her life following a traffic accident in the Santiago commune. The collision involved a vehicle driven by a Carabineros officer under the influence of alcohol, along with six other officers from the same institution.
The accident occurred around 3:00 a.m. at the intersection of Tarapacá and San Francisco streets. According to reports from El Mostrador, the victim was a passenger in a rideshare vehicle (Uber) and was ejected from the car upon impact.
Following the collision, the occupants of the police vehicle fled the scene without providing aid to the victim, according to reports from CNN Chile and El Mostrador. The young woman was rushed to the former Posta Central hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition before her death was confirmed later on Friday.
Officers dismissed amid allegations of fraud
Carabineros de Chile confirmed the immediate dismissal of Corporal Ángel Cerna Rojas, identified by El Mostrador as the driver of the police vehicle. The institution reported that the officer was detained after being held responsible for the crash and for driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to El Mostrador, Corporal Cerna Rojas actually attempted to report the theft of the vehicle he was driving to a police unit in San Miguel. However, local security cameras provided evidence that directly implicated him in the accident.
The police force also announced the dismissal of six other officers linked to the incident. In a statement, Carabineros described the situation as a "grave and unacceptable breach, absolutely contrary to institutional principles and values," as reported by CNN Chile.
Victim's profile and calls for justice
María Alejandra Flores Rodríguez was 20 years old and had been living in Chile for three years. According to BioBioChile, the young woman worked as a makeup artist and manicurist to support her two younger siblings while studying to become a DJ.
Her friends recounted that they lost contact with her on the night of the accident when she stopped responding to messages while en route to a friend's home. They learned of the tragedy through social media after recognizing the accident site in the news.
"She was here for work. Last night, she was traveling to my friend's apartment in an Uber as usual, and then this accident happened, which we have no idea how it occurred," one of her acquaintances told BioBioChile.
The victim's group of friends has called on authorities to act decisively to ensure justice is served. Additionally, they expressed concern regarding the financial situation of Flores' family in Colombia, noting that they lack the means to cover the costs of repatriating her remains.
