U.S. Consul General involved in accident in Lo Barnechea

SANTIAGO.- The Consul General Officer of the United States in Chile, Christian Bendsen, was responsible for a car accident this morning in the municipality of Lo Barnechea.

According to police, the accident occurred at 4:10 AM this morning at the intersection of Avenida Raúl Labbé and La Dehesa.

At the time, Bendsen was reportedly driving westbound in a Subaru Legacy with a diplomatic license plate.

At the intersection Bendsen lost control of the automobile and veered off of the side of the road and onto the median, where he crashed into a traffic sign and then knocked over two others.

"The Consul was driving the vehicle with a diplomatic license plate westbound along Raúl Labbé. After arriving at La Dehesa, he lost control of the vehicle. Apparently, he fell asleep. He admitted that he had ingested a small amount of alcohol. According to our investigations, the amount was minimal", stated police captain Claudio Valencia.

As a result of the accident, Bendsen ended up with minor injuries and was taken to a clinic in the eastern sector of the capital by police. Later, he was taken to the 53rd Commissary of Lo Barnechea, where security officials from the U.S. embassy arrived to pick him up.