A chain-reaction collision on a Mexican highway killed at least 10 people Sunday, leaving four American citizens hospitalized with minor injuries.
The crash occurred on the route between Guadalajara and Tepic in Jalisco state. According to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection of Nayarit, the sequence began with a rear-end collision between two tractor-trailers. A third truck with reportedly compromised brakes then plowed into the stationary wreckage at highway speed.
Three private vehicles and two tractor-trailers were completely incinerated. Two additional private cars and a National Guard Dodge Charger sustained damage. Two of the deceased were minors. Ten additional people sustained injuries ranging from minor to severe.
The four injured American nationals were transferred to Arboledas Hospital in Guadalajara. Two injured National Guard members had serious wounds. The driver of the third tractor-trailer was detained by the National Guard.
The Mexican Army, Air Force, and National Guard said the third trailer "reportedly suffered a failure in its braking system." Details about the maintenance history of the vehicle, its inspection records and the company's safety practices were not immediately available.
The initial rear-end collision that triggered the chain reaction also was under investigation. Officials were examining what caused that first accident and why vehicles were stationary on an active highway when the second tractor-trailer approached.
Social media videos from the scene showed multiple vehicles engulfed in flames and black smoke columns visible for miles.
