Negligent, speeding driver caused Mexican bus crash that killed 12, injured 20

20 Dec, 2017 23:13 / Updated 6 years ago

A high-speed bus crash in Mexico that left eight Americans, two Swedes, a Canadian and a Mexican dead was caused in part by the driver’s carelessness, Mexican officials say. The driver, who is in custody, was among 20 injured.

A preliminary investigation found that the Tuesday morning crash in Quintana Roo occurred when the driver failed to keep the bus on a narrow roadway which then flipped over, hitting a tree and other roadside vegetation, Quintana Roo state prosecutor Miguel Angel Pech Cen said, according to the Associated Press.

The Quintana Roo attorney general said one of the Americans killed was an 11-year-old boy, ABC News reported.

Details of the 20 injured, which included the driver, have yet to be confirmed, but they included tourists from Brazil, Canada and Sweden, ABC News reported.

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“Out of respect for the privacy of the families involved, we will not be providing any additional details on their condition or location,” said spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez for the Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises. “We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.”

A bus convoy was reportedly transporting cruise ship travelers from the port in Mahahual to Mayan ruins.

“We express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected by this tragedy,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday.