Cuenca Traffic Deaths Have Reached 28 So Far This Year

Cuenca's road-safety numbers are grim this year.

Between January 1 and June 21, 2026, 28 people have died in traffic crashes in Cuenca canton.

The Latest Crash

The most recent fatal crash happened at 04:30 on Sunday, June 21, on the Panamericana Sur in the Y de Tarqui sector, near the Santa Teresita community south of Cuenca.

Two people died and two others were injured after a frontal collision between a truck and a sedan. A man and a woman were trapped inside the car and died at the scene.

The Cuenca Fire Department handled rescue work with hydraulic tools and gave pre-hospital care to the two injured people, who were taken to health centers.

Criminalistics agents removed the bodies and began expert analysis to determine the causes of the crash. The vehicles were taken to the vehicle retention center as part of the investigation.

Where The Fatalities Are Concentrated

April has been the deadliest month of 2026 so far, with 20 deaths recorded between April 14 and April 26.

The worst single crash happened on April 16 on the Cuenca-Guayaquil road, at kilometer 57, when a San Luis cooperative bus left the road, overturned and caught fire in the El Chorro river sector. That crash left 15 people dead.

The Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme road has the highest incidence of fatal crashes in the period reviewed, with 17 deaths so far this year.

What This Means If You Drive Here

This is the kind of story that should change behavior a little. Not dramatically, not fearfully, but practically.

If you are driving south through Tarqui, heading toward the coast, or using the Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme route, build in daylight, weather, rest and speed discipline. The road itself is only part of the risk. Timing, fatigue, buses, trucks, rain, fog and passing behavior all stack together.

For longer trips, leave earlier than you think you need to. If the road feels wrong, it probably is.