MANABÍ, ECUADOR – JULY 27, 2026 Police officer Víctor Hugo Yánez Toapanta died in the evening during a traffic stop on the Pedernales-Chamanga road. Police officers were checking vehicles near a gas station when a van approached them. According to preliminary information, the driver failed to stop and struck the officer.
After the collision, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a pole. Police subsequently arrested him and seized the van. The circumstances of the accident and the driver’s possible responsibility are being further investigated by the appropriate authorities.
