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| Chilean Navy officer kills people by private vehicle |
The Chilean Navy announced on Sunday that one of its members, who was off duty and driving a private vehicle, crashed into an open market in the coastal city of Viña del Mar, killing several people.
The navy said in a statement: "The incident resulted in the death of several people and injuries of varying severity to others," adding that it is cooperating with authorities to determine the circumstances of the incident.
The Navy statement did not specify the number of casualties, but local media reported that the incident resulted in the deaths of at least six people.
Colonel Jorge Guaita, Viña del Mar police chief, told reporters that the driver reported that he did not remember anything and that the cause of the accident had not yet been determined.
This, and Attorney General Walter Wenzel, who is in charge of the investigation into the hit-and-run accident that killed six people and injured seven others at the Cowpolican Fair in Viña del Mar, confirmed that the driver was driving with expired documents and without mandatory personal accident insurance (SOAP).
The prosecutor also confirmed that initial tests ruled out the presence of alcohol and drugs in the driver, a naval officer who was off duty at the time of the accident.
Wenzel explained that surveillance cameras show the car traveling at high speed before the driver lost control and ran over a number of people.
He noted that, given the ongoing investigations, he does not rule out requesting an extension of the suspect's detention while the investigations continue.
The Viña del Mar Chiota Health Department reported that the seven injured, including two eight-month-old infants, are in stable condition at Gustavo Fricke Hospital.
Footage circulating on social media, captured by a residential security camera, showed the moment the car sped into the market stalls.
Other footage showed the driver being quickly taken to a nearby police car, while a number of angry bystanders followed him shouting.
