Lerdo, Durango — Five elements of the Ministry of National Defense lost their lives after a rollover in Lerdo, Durango. The accident happened around 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, when security patrols stopped a gray Jeep Patriot that was speeding.
When the driver failed to stop, a manhunt was unleashed on the highway from Villa Juárez to Carlos Real. During the chase, the driver of the military truck lost control and rolled several times before crashing into a building.
The roll killed the five soldiers that were traveling in the bed of the truck. A sixth solider, who was not killed, was seriously injured.
According to reports from the Durango Attorney General’s Office, the military vehicle rolled several times until it crashed into a building, knocking down the roof and part of the fence.
The men traveling in the bed fell onto the pavement. Five of them died, while another suffered serious injuries. He was transferred to the Military Hospital in Torreón.
The five deceased have been identified as Víctor Manuel Díaz Flores, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez Cervantes, Adrián Flores Rivera, José Antonio Saldaña Espino and Néstor Gutiérrez Gómez. The injured soldier is named Rafael T.
After the accident, a group of police officers who participated in the persecution helped the military. The vehicle they were pursuing fled the scene to an unknown destination.