A devastating three-vehicle collision on Saturday evening, September 13, killed at least 16 people on the Mérida-Campeche federal highway in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The crash involved a passenger van carrying construction workers, a beer delivery truck, and a private Ford Ikon vehicle near the town of Kopomá.
According to preliminary investigations by the Yucatán Security Ministry, the passenger van was traveling at excessive speed when it collided with the private vehicle and subsequently veered into the path of the oncoming beer truck. The van immediately burst into flames upon impact, trapping multiple occupants inside the burning wreckage.
Initial reports indicated 15 fatalities, but the death toll later increased to 16 after authorities discovered additional burned remains in the van’s wreckage. Among the deceased were construction workers from Calkiní, a town in Campeche state, who were returning from work in Mérida. The victims included five women and the driver of the beer truck, who remained trapped in his vehicle.
Witnesses described a horrific scene with bodies scattered along the roadside and multiple victims trapped in the burning van. Some occupants were ejected from the vehicle during the collision, while at least five died from burns after becoming trapped during the fire. The van split in two from the force of the impact before erupting in flames.
Emergency responders, including firefighters and paramedics from the Yucatán Public Security Secretariat, quickly arrived at the scene to extinguish the flames and attempt rescues. Two survivors from the private vehicle were treated at the scene and subsequently transported to hospitals in Mérida for further medical care. One additional survivor from the van remains hospitalized.
The National Guard and forensic teams secured the crash site while investigators began examining the circumstances that led to the collision. Social media footage from the aftermath showed large fires and pillars of dark smoke rising from the mangled vehicles on the highway.
Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena confirmed the casualty count and expressed condolences to affected families. “With deep sorrow, we received the news of the regrettable accident that occurred this afternoon on the Mérida–Campeche highway, where sadly 15 people lost their lives,” Díaz Mena stated.
The governor accompanied families to Medical Forensic Service facilities on Sunday, September 14, to assist with victim identification and body transfers. Several bodies have been identified and returned to relatives, while six others undergo DNA testing. Two victims remain unidentified and unclaimed.
Campeche Governor Layda Sansores also offered condolences and support through a telephone call to her counterpart in Yucatán. Both state governments coordinated efforts to support grieving families and facilitate the return of remains to their home communities.
The Yucatán State Attorney General’s Office confirmed an ongoing investigation into the collision. Initial findings suggest the van driver was speeding before the crash occurred. Local media reports indicate this collision represents the worst road tragedy in Yucatán in five decades, surpassing a 1979 bus accident that killed 11 people and injured 43 others.
This incident marks Mexico’s third major transportation accident within a week. On Monday, September 9, a freight train collided with a double-decker bus in central Mexico, killing 10 people and injuring 41 others. Two days later, a gas truck overturned and exploded in Mexico City, resulting in 13 deaths and dozens of severe burn injuries.
The deadly highway collision occurred on Federal Highway 180, a major transportation route connecting the Yucatán Peninsula’s largest cities. The van was traveling toward Campeche when the sequence of collisions began, ultimately resulting in one of the region’s most devastating road accidents in recent memory.
Emergency services continue coordinating with both state governments to provide ongoing support to survivor treatment and family assistance programs. The investigation remains active as authorities work to determine additional contributing factors to the fatal collision.
