2 dead, 5 hurt when family’s van plunges off Camino Real bridge near Juarez

A van carrying a family on a trip crashed along the Camino Real bridge just southwest of Juarez and then plunged down an embankment into an empty ravine, killing two people and injuring five others.

Video from Canal 44 (you can watch it in the video player at the top of this article) showed emergency crews examining the serious wreckage following the deadly crash that happened early Sunday; several of the crash victims had to extricated from the van.

Mexican media identified the deceased as the van’s driver, 44-year-old María del Rosario Cruz Santiago, and a 39-year-old passenger, Arturo Cruz Santiago.

In addition, four children — ages 8, 9, 10 and 13 — along with a 38-year-old adult were said to be hospitalized in critical condition. Authorities said all the van passengers were related.

Witnesses suggested poor lighting along that stretch of roadway makes it dangerous at night for those who are unfamiliar with it, according to Mexican media.

Sunday’s crash raised the death toll from road accidents in the Juarez area to nine over the past two weeks.

KVIA 2019