Traffic chaos hits Quito after crash near El Trébol

A traffic crash near El Trébol, on the route toward the General Rumiñahui Highway, caused heavy congestion across Quito on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Drivers reported delays from Velasco Ibarra Avenue, also known as Oriental, toward the highway in the direction of Quito’s Valle de Los Chillos. The Metropolitan Transit Agency said it had closed one lane on the highway while emergency agencies responded.

By about 7 p.m., the agency announced that both lanes had reopened. At 7:20 p.m., authorities had not reported whether the El Trébol crash caused injuries or property damage.

A separate crash on Simón Bolívar Avenue in the Puengasí sector killed one person. The Metropolitan Transit Agency said the incident occurred at the entrance to La Forestal at 3:26 p.m. and involved a bus and a private motorcycle. The motorcyclist died.

The Quito Fire Department urged drivers to obey traffic laws, remain attentive and check their vehicles before setting out. The report also cited municipal figures saying traffic crashes are Ecuador’s fifth-leading cause of death, while in Quito, motorcyclists account for 46% of those killed and pedestrians for 27%.