Fatal crash and two other collisions raise alarm over road safety in Capira construction zone

A fatal accident and two other collisions over a single weekend on a busy highway construction site in Capira have intensified concerns about road safety in the area. The incidents occurred on the Pan-American Highway near Villa Carmen, where expansion work for the Corredor de las Playas project is underway.

The most serious incident happened Saturday night when a 37-year-old man died after losing control of his vehicle. His car struck a concrete jersey barrier along the roadside near a local supermarket. Two other accidents involving a pickup truck and a truck also occurred in the same vicinity.

Agustín Santamaría of the National Police's Traffic Operations Directorate stated that the Public Ministry is investigating the fatal crash. "Photographs show a loss of physical control of the vehicle, impacting the jersey barriers on one side of the road," he noted. Santamaría urged drivers to adhere to speed limits in the construction zone and announced plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and the project's construction company to enhance road signage.

"We will take appropriate measures with the company and the Ministry of Public Works to put up correct signage so that drivers can understand and navigate this location safely," he said.

Official figures reveal that 36 people have died in traffic accidents in the province of Panamá Oeste so far in 2026. Of these, 15 deaths occurred in La Chorrera, 8 in Arraiján, and 13 in the combined areas of Capira, Chame, and San Carlos. The Ministry of Public Works indicated that the Authority of Transit and Land Transport (ATTT) is addressing the road safety measures for this stretch of the Pan-American Highway.