Crash splits car in half leaving driver dead and passenger in critical condition

The Guam Police Department's Highway Patrol was activated early this morning responding to the island's third fatal crash of the year.

KUAM was on the scene as GPD and Guam Fire Department medics were extracting a man out of a vehicle that had split in half.


"We know full well when we see something of this magnitude one or two things will be attributed to this, either that somebody may have passed as a result of this crash or somebody seriously injured may pass," Sgt. Paul Tapao told KUAM News. 

According to Guam police department spokesperson Sgt. Paul Tapao, shortly before 6 a.m. a blue Toyota Corolla was heading east on West Santa Monica Avenue near Wettengel Elementary School when the driver lost control of the vehicle, ran off the roadway, and collided with a concrete wall by the Hal Shiroma Football Field.


"As a result of the crash, a male driver was identified as the fatal as another male passenger was listed in condition and had to be transported to Guam Regional Medical City for treatment and care," he said. 

GPD closed the roads from west Santa Monica Avenue and the northern public health building for about five hours this morning. GPD is working to identify the deceased driver and has yet to identify the relation between the two men.

Sgt. Tapao wants to remind the community to adhere to traffic laws and speed limits, and refrain from impaired and distracted driving.


"We just want to bring to the attention that further up the street by Benevente Middle School," he said. "There was another crash that involved five pedestrians. And this strip of road we consider it to be a dangerous strip because of the surface area and of course people not adhering to the speed limit which I believe is 15 mph because it is a residential area and a school zone area."

This case is ongoing as crash investigators have yet to determine if speed, alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.


"We are asking the community if anybody may have witnessed the accident before the crash, if anybody may have witnessed the mannerism of the blue Toyota corolla either traversing or traveling on West Monica or further towards Route 1, that can aid us with this case please call our traffic investigators through our dispatch at 472-8911," Tapao said.