Santiago, Chile – An early morning marked by chaos and recklessness ended in potential tragedy when a car fell into the Mapocho River after a violent accident in the heart of the capital. The driver, who miraculously survived, tested positive for alcohol.
The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning , at the intersection of Avenida Costanera Norte and Puente Purísima , when a private vehicle lost control at high speed, broke the containment barrier and fell directly into the Mapocho River bed from a height of approximately 6 meters.
Eyewitnesses immediately alerted emergency crews. “It was like something out of a movie. The car was going very fast, zigzagging, and suddenly went straight into the river. We thought no one would make it out alive,” said a night worker.
The driver, under the influence of alcohol
Carabineros reported that the driver, identified as Matías C. (28 years old) , managed to get out of the car on his own after the impact. Despite suffering multiple minor injuries, he was found conscious on the riverbank. He was taken to the University of Chile Clinical Hospital, where he was stabilized.
Hours later, the medical report was accompanied by a confirmation that set off alarm bells : the breathalyzer test revealed that the young driver had 1.3 grams of alcohol per liter of blood , meaning he was driving while intoxicated .
