Santa Fe: 29-year-old man returning from sister's wake dies in truck collision

A tragic accident on Argentina's National Route 19 claimed the life of a 29-year-old man on Thursday afternoon. The victim was traveling from Santa Fe province to Río Tercero, Córdoba, returning from his sister's wake when the collision occurred near the town of Joséfina.

The victim, identified as Francisco Gómez, was a passenger in a Citroën Basalt that collided with a truck transporting gas cylinders. The car, carrying Gómez and his father and brother, was traveling in the same direction as the truck. Gómez, seated in the front passenger seat, died at the scene. The driver of the car sustained minor injuries, while a third occupant was taken to the Hospital Iturraspe in San Francisco for medical attention.

The Citroën sustained severe damage to its front and passenger side, while the truck showed impact on its rear. The driver of the gas cylinder truck, a resident of Frontera, Santa Fe, has an unknown health status. The victim's father, Luis Gómez, a well-known restaurateur in Río Tercero, has closed his establishment, Topacio, due to the family's bereavement.

Adding to the tragedy, another fatal accident occurred on the same stretch of Route 19 just nine hours later, in the early hours of Friday. This incident, approximately four kilometers from the first crash site, involved a Chevrolet S10 pickup truck colliding with the rear of a grain-carrying truck. A woman, also a passenger in the vehicle and a resident of Córdoba, died in this second collision. The other three occupants of the pickup truck were unharmed.

Emergency services, police, and forensic teams responded to both incidents. Investigations are underway to determine the exact causes of both crashes. The repeated accidents on Route 19 have highlighted safety concerns on the busy highway.