A vehicle operated by an off-duty member of the Chilean navy collided with an open-air market in the coastal city of Vina del Mar on Sunday, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries. The Chilean Navy confirmed the incident in an official statement, indicating that the crash claimed several lives and left additional individuals with injuries ranging in severity. Local media outlets reported at least six people were killed in the collision.
Footage from residential security cameras documented the moment the vehicle entered the market stalls. Video recordings also showed bystanders responding with apparent anger as the driver was placed into a police vehicle at the scene. Emergency personnel including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics responded to provide assistance to those affected by the crash.
Five injured individuals, including two infants, were transported to Gustavo Fricke Hospital with traumatic injuries. Hospital officials stated that the admitted patients were in stable condition and not facing life-threatening circumstances, though they remained under observation for further evaluation. Two additional injured persons were treated and released from medical care. A breathalyzer test administered to the driver returned a negative result, according to the Interior Undersecretary. The police prefect for Vina del Mar reported that the driver claimed to have no memory of the incident, and investigators indicated the cause remained under investigation.
According to police statements, witness accounts described the vehicle traveling at high speed in the correct traffic direction before mounting a sidewalk, where it subsequently rotated. Officers noted that a bus stop ultimately halted the vehicle’s movement. Chilean President José Antonio Kast issued a statement acknowledging the severity of the situation. The Caupolican market, where the incident occurred, typically operates on Thursdays and Sundays and accommodates more than 1,000 merchant stalls along with informal vendors in adjacent areas, regularly drawing substantial crowds.