High surf shutters south lanes in Santo Domingo’s seaside avenue

Santo Domingo.- Municipal agents started detouring traffic near noon Friday on the west to east lanes to prevent accidents, as the Caribbean Sea’s strong waves pound the seaside avenue Malecon.

Using tree trunks nearly 10 miles from the capital’s downtown to keep vehicles from using the road, agents instruct motorists heading to the city center to use Independencia Av. instead.

Huge puddles are what most snarl traffic, although few motorists venture into the avenue.

Victim

A 28-year-old man died Thursday night when his motorcycle hit a pothole, crashed and was then run over by a vehicle, whose strong impact flung him to the other side of the road.

The intermittent downpours from Tropical Storm Isaac have also snarled traffic in other major thoroufares.