A devastating road accident in northern Mexico claimed the lives of twelve people and injured four others on Sunday, according to authorities. The incident occurred in the mountainous Santiago area of Nuevo Leon state when a pickup truck carrying sixteen people plummeted into a ravine.
District director of Civil Protection, Erik Cavazos, reported that eleven of the occupants died at the scene. Sadly, a minor later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, bringing the total death toll to twelve. Four other individuals remained hospitalized with injuries sustained in the approximately 120-meter fall.
David de la Pena, Santiago’s municipal president, indicated that a mechanical failure might have caused the accident, noting the absence of skid marks on the road suggesting the driver had not applied the brakes. The vehicle’s descent into the ravine also ignited a forest fire, which was subsequently extinguished by the Civil Protection Department.
This tragedy follows recent road incidents in Mexico. On March 11, two separate highway accidents in the north and south of the country resulted in 32 fatalities. Furthermore, a collision between a cargo truck and a passenger bus on February 8 in the southeastern state of Campeche caused the deaths of 38 people, marking one of the most tragic events of the year so far.
Road accidents, often involving cargo trucks, have become increasingly prevalent in Mexico in recent years. The primary contributing factors are the poor condition of vehicles, reckless driving, and driver fatigue.
