Santiago's 7th Guarantee Court ordered preventive prison for Ángel Cerna Rojas, former Carabineros cabo, charged with drunk driving that killed María Alejandra Flores Rodríguez, a 20-year-old Colombian, in a downtown crash. Seven officers were dismissed after fleeing without aiding the victim. The incident happened after 3:00 a.m. on Friday at Tarapacá and San Francisco intersection.
Seven off-duty Carabineros from Santiago's 4th Precinct, in civilian clothes after leaving a nightclub where they celebrated a birthday, caused a fatal crash around 3:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24, in downtown Santiago. Ángel Cerna Rojas, 22-year-old cabo, drove drunk, ran a red light at Tarapacá and San Francisco, and struck an Uber vehicle, ejecting passenger María Alejandra Flores Rodríguez, who died hours later at Hospital de Urgencia Asistencia Pública.
The ex-officers fled without aiding the victim, though security cameras captured them returning for belongings. Cerna tried to cover it up by reporting the car stolen in San Miguel. Fiscal Felipe Olivari stated: “We accredited that he was indeed the driver.” All were dismissed by Carabineros, which called it a “gravísima e inaceptable” fault.
The 7th Guarantee Court ordered preventive prison for Cerna, charged with drunk driving resulting in death, damages, and failure to assist, with 120 days for investigation. Fiscal Fernando Ruiz Delgado detailed the charges. The Uber driver told TVN's 24 Horas: “I obviously went through green and these guys [...] hit me hard, running red, and I spun three times. The girl flew out.”
Officials condemned the act. General Manuel Cifuentes said: “We do not condone that type of conduct.” Minister Trinidad Steinert emphasized “zero tolerance.” President José Antonio Kast stated: “No one has the right to put another person's life at risk.”
The other ex-Carabineros are C. Gallardo M, B. Luna O., P. Uribe S., M. Cádiz V., R. Correa C., and R. Muñoz O.
