Truck in which the seven young people were traveling. Photo: Courtesy.

The year began with a tragic accident in the Jocotepec municipality that saw  an 18 year-old young man dead and six others seriously injured.

The accident occurred on January 1st in San Pedro Tesistán at around 12:00 noon, and was so serious that one of the injured was taken to Guadalajara by helicopter with  a fractured skull and fractured ribs. As of the closing of this edition, his condition remained delicate, according to medical authorities.

The red RAM model pickup truck, hit  two other vehicles,  then lost control and ended up completely overturned on the side of the road, said tone of the  medical authorities. He added that the driver was one of the least injured and was assessed as conscious on the Glasgow scale (scale for assessing the level of consciousness). Since he did not have any type of Social Security (IMSS or ISSSTE)  he was transferred to a private hospital.

The helicopter that transported one of the injured youths to Guadalajara for treatment. Photo: Courtesy.

According to unofficial information, the driver was in custody; however, no official statement has yet been issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Medical authorities one scene  said that they did not have the toxicology reports on whether the alcoholic beverages was a determining factor in the tragic accident, since the Public Prosecutor’s Office has its own medical team to determine the possible causes and responsibilities.

«We were only in charge of safeguarding their lives; the Public Prosecutor’s Office will make causal determinations, including the injuries were  aggravated  by the fact that  that some of them were being transported in the back of the truck»,  one of the medical authorities said, noting that. fractures in extremities, skull and spine were a common factor in these kinds of accidents.

The Civil Protection and Fire Department of Jocotepec has not delivered the report on the accident despite a request by Laguna.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan