A 73-year old expat from the United States lost his life in an automobile crash that may have been precipitated by a cardiac arrest. According to a news report published by daily tabloid Diario Extra, the fatal accident took place during the early morning hours of Tuesday on the road that connects the cities of Bagaces and Cañas in the province of Guanacaste.

 

The departed expat has been identified as Goster Speger Hamer. According to Diario Extra, he was a resident of Puriscal, and the reason he was in Guanacaste when he passed away is not known. The decedent was driving a passenger vehicle bearing license plate number 309985, and he was traveling by himself.

 

Judging from the severity of the crash, accident investigators and agents from the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ) in Liberia believe that the man was driving over the speed limit before he lost control of the vehicle and  collided against a concrete barrier off the side of the road. There were no brake marks on the asphalt to suggest whether the expat lost control after swerving to avoid another vehicle or an animal on the highway.

 

Red Cross paramedic Angel Sabala explained to Diario Extra that the man appeared to have suffered a massive heart attack either before or after the crash. Preliminary observations from medical examiner staff suggest that the driver may have actually experienced two instances of cardiac arrest, and one of them may have been the cause of the tragic accident.

 

The section of the highway where this accident took place has become notorious in Costa Rica due to the high number of road traffic misfortunes that have occurred here in the last few months. Neighbors believe that there should be traffic signals alerting drivers of the low visibility and the risks of driving at high speeds.