Arrest and Alleged Speeding
Ivette Vergara, a journalist and television host, was arrested late Sunday after being caught allegedly driving at 160 kilometers per hour on the Costanera Norte in the Lo Curro sector, where the speed limit is 100 km/h. The procedure was part of a checkpoint by Carabineros' Radiopatrol Section, who detected the vehicle speeding and ordered the driver to stop.[S1]
According to CHV Noticias, police administered a breathalyzer test, which reportedly returned zero. Vergara was taken to the 37th Police Station in Vitacura, where she remained in custody. The Eastern Prosecutor's Office ordered that she appear Monday for a detention control hearing and subsequent formalization of charges for reckless driving.[S1]
Legal Consequences and Response
Reckless driving under Chilean law includes exceeding the speed limit by 60 km/h or more, as defined in legislation related to illegal street racing. The investigation is ongoing, and Carabineros has not issued further public statements. If it is her first offense, Vergara risks having her driver's license suspended for six months to a year; a repeat offense could bring a harsher penalty.[S1][S2]
The communicator will spend the night at the police station, accompanied by family members, though it was not confirmed whether her partner, Fernando Solabarrieta, was with her. When asked about the excessive speed, Vergara reportedly said she was heading to an activity. The news was first reported by CHV Noticias.[S2]
