Paraguay Ombudsman demands stricter sobriety checks after fatal crash

The Ombudsman of Paraguay, Rafael Ávila Macke, has called for intensified and permanent breathalyzer controls following a fatal traffic accident in San Lorenzo. The demand follows a collision on October 31 where an 18-year-old passenger, Matías Eduardo González, was killed when a vehicle struck his car while it was stopped at a red light.

Authorities reported that the driver of the impacting Audi Q7, 37-year-old Jorge Antonio Romero Gómez, tested positive for alcohol with a level of 0.972 milligrams per liter of exhaled air. Romero Gómez was detained by the Public Ministry following the incident.

Ávila Macke urged the National Police, Highway Patrol, and local municipalities to implement rigorous, unannounced, and coordinated operations, particularly during nights, weekends, and holidays, to prevent further loss of life caused by impaired driving.