Tulum, Q.R. — A highway accident between a van and dump truck has killed one and injured at least 10 others. The accident happened Saturday afternoon on a section of the Tulum–Macario Gómez highway where the two vehicles collided.
According to available information, the van was transporting a kid’s soccer team to a local cenote after finishing a game in Tulum. The driver was heading to the cenote for a post game activity with the team when their van was rear ended.
It is not clear how or why the van was hit by the industrial truck, however, there are reports that the driver of the van had pulled over and was parked on the highway shoulder when it was struck.
The impact from the rear end popped the back window, ejecting one girl from the van and throwing her to the pavement. Due to the severity of her injuries, motorists who stopped to help made the decision to immediately transport her to hospital, however, she died along the way.
The deceased girl has been identified as 6 year old Luna “S”.
Police, Civil Protection and numerous ambulances arrived in response to motorists reports of a serious highway accident involving a van load of children. Several children from inside the van have been transferred to Tulum and Playa del Carmen hospitals for medical attention.
A large section of the highway was shut by Municipal Police while they assisted in helping the injured. The dump truck was located at the scene of the fatal afternoon crash. At the time of reporting Saturday afternoon, there was no word on the driver of the truck and police had not made a public statement.
In a statement released by Tulum City Hall late Saturday night, they said “Tulum Public Safety and Citizen Protection Secretariat Responded to Car Accident in Tulum-Cobá. The Tulum Public Safety and Citizen Protection Secretariat responded to a vehicle accident at kilometer 10 of the Tulum-Cobá state highway, where a dump truck rear-ended an Urban vehicle.
“The incident left seven people injured: six minors and one adult, who were transported to hospitals in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. A six-year-old girl also died at the scene.
“After the 911 call, emergency protocols were activated. The Civil Protection Directorate coordinated care for the injured with support from medical units at Tulum Hospital, Salud y Vida, and CostaMed, among others. The Traffic Directorate arrested the drivers involved in the accident and handed them over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
