Ecuadorian runner, 38, killed in hit & run during early morning training for her first marathon
She was reportedly a mother of two children.
In a tragic early morning accident on September 4, 38-year-old Monica Andrea Martinich Cohn, a mother of two, was struck and killed while training for her first marathon in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She was part of a group of three runners occupying the rightmost lane of the four-lane E40 highway, where they regularly ran in the pre-dawn hours. The road was well-lit by bright LED lights, and each runner wore a bright neon yellow shirt with a blinking red light attached to their shorts.
In the second lane from the right, an escort truck was moving slowly alongside the runners, displaying its hazard lights. However, the escort system did not prevent the tragic incident. A high-speed truck suddenly appeared from off-screen, attempting to overtake the escort truck in the third lane. The collision occurred when the truck hit Martinich, while the other two runners jumped to safety onto the pavement.
Disturbingly, the truck involved in the accident did not stop to offer assistance, leaving Martinich's lifeless body alongside the road. The Ecuadorian Transport Commission promptly declared her death on the scene, classifying the incident as a hit-and-run due to the driver's failure to stop and aid the victim. The two other runners were unharmed.
The local running community, including Martinich's fellow runners and their families, expressed their shock and grief over the senseless loss. The incident has sparked intense discussions regarding the safety of runners training on roads before dawn, raising concerns about the need for improved road safety measures for early morning exercise enthusiasts. Investigations into the accident are currently underway.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
