Senator Silvio Ovelar Breaks Silence on Fatal Accident in Caaguazú: 'I Was in Shock'

Colorado Senator Silvio Ovelar spoke for the first time about the traffic accident that killed Celso Vera, 51, on May 14 in Caaguazú. Ovelar said he was a passenger, did not see the victim, and reached a financial settlement with the family.

Senator Silvio Ovelar (ANR-HC) broke his silence about the fatal accident that occurred on May 14 in Caaguazú, in which a pedestrian was hit by the pickup truck in which he was traveling. In statements to the press, Ovelar said he was “very shocked” by what happened and that he had already reached a financial settlement with the victim's family.

Ovelar explained that he was a passenger on his way to a Mother's Day party when the Toyota Land Cruiser, driven by his driver Mario Rivas Cubas, struck Celso Vera, 51, a sawmill worker who lived in Colonia Walter Insfrán. “I didn't even see him, I was looking at my tablet, I only felt the impact,” the senator said. He said that after the shock, he got out of the pickup and tried to help the victim, but he was already dead.

The accident occurred in the 1º de Maio area of Caaguazú. Driver Rivas Cubas took a breathalyzer test, which came back negative. Officers who responded to the incident cited poor lighting at the scene as a possible contributing factor. Ovelar expressed regret over the incident and confirmed the settlement with Vera's family, without giving details of the amount.