Dominican Republic spinal injuries rise from illegal motorcycle races

Neuro‑surgeons in the Dominican Republic warn that clandestine motorcycle races are driving a surge in severe spinal injuries among young adults. The Hospital Profesor Juan Bosch in La Vega reports receiving one to three cases each week, primarily men aged 20‑30, who suffer trauma to the spinal cord after crashes on the Duarte highway. Many arrive with paraplegia or tetraplegia, and some die or remain in a vegetative state, requiring prolonged ventilation and facing complications such as pneumonia, urinary infections and pressure ulcers.

The specialists stress that prompt emergency care can improve outcomes, urging by‑standers to call the national 9‑1‑1 system, ensure proper breathing, control bleeding and avoid improper movement, as roughly 30 % of injuries worsen with mishandling. They note that over half of serious spinal injuries involve motorcyclists, and that one in ten riders sustains a spinal injury that can cause lifelong disability, imposing a heavy economic burden on the health system and insurers.