Thirteen killed when trailer strikes vehicles on Mexican highway

Thirteen killed when trailer strikes vehicles on Mexican highway

2010-12-22 04:09:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- At least 13 people were killed on Tuesday and 18 others were injured when a trailer overturned on the Mexico City-Puebla highway in central Mexico, officials said.

The accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday at the 35.5 kilometer (22 miles) mark in the city of Ixtapaluca when a trailer rolled over and hit several vehicles which were stopped at a police checkpoint.

Police said the trailer was carrying around 45 tons of metal rods and apparently lost its brakes, leading to the deadly accident. The driver lost control of the vehicle, crashing into several vehicles and striking five federal police officers.

Trailer driver Rafael Saturnino Vázquez was trapped in the flipped vehicle for approximately 45 minutes until rescue crews were able to free him. He was arrested after being transported to an area hospital, where he remains with two broken legs. He will be questioned at a later time.

In total, officials said eight federal police officers and five civilians were killed in the accident. Several others were injured and were taken to a local medical facility.

The Mexico-Puebla highway, which is one of the busiest entry points to Mexico City, was closed for several hours. The north bound lane was closed until 6.30 a.m. local time while the south bound lane was close until 5.30 a.m. local time.

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