Drivers were waiting outside a tunnel for another accident to be cleared when the crash occurred. A deadly multi-vehicle crash in Coahuila left five dead and 15 injured on Sunday afternoon after a semitrailer’s brakes failed.
The accident occurred in the northbound section of Highway 57 close to the city of Saltillo.
The section of road is characterized by sharp curves and steep hills and accidents are common. Just before the crash, cars were lined up outside the Los Chorros tunnel, waiting for another accident to be cleared when the semi came barreling down upon them without brakes, the newspaper Diario de Coahuila reported.
Four people died at the scene and another person, a 51-year-old man, died shortly after being transported to a nearby hospital. An SUV was pushed off the edge of the road, falling more than 10 meters into the ravine below.
Some people were waiting outside their cars when the crash occurred, while others were thrown from their vehicles. When first responders arrived, they covered the bodies lying in the road with blue sheets.
#Atención en #Coahuila se registra cierre de circulación por colisión múltiple aproximadamente en el km 230+000 carretera (2152) Puerto México-Ojo Caliente, mismo tramo, dirección Monterrey. pic.twitter.com/mxqXiEdpJN
— Guardia Nacional Carreteras (@GN_Carreteras) December 5, 2021
According to the highway division of the National Guard, the highway had been cleared and traffic was flowing as usual by around midnight.
With reports from Reforma, Infobae and Diario de Coahuila
