A three-vehicle chain collision in Tijuana’s Terrazas del Valle neighborhood injured 12 people Monday afternoon, sending a pregnant driver to the hospital and leaving 10 maquiladora workers with minor injuries.
The crash began when a California-plated Toyota Tundra failed to maintain a safe following distance and rear-ended a Nissan Armada on a busy road. The impact pushed the Armada into the back of a Settepi employee transport bus traveling ahead. Settepi is an industrial staffing firm that operates in Tijuana’s maquiladora sector, providing workers to factories across the city.
Ten Bus Passengers and Both Drivers Hurt
Ten passengers aboard the Settepi bus sustained injuries in the collision, along with the female drivers of both the Tundra and the Armada. Mexican Red Cross paramedics responded to the scene and treated all 12 people. Officials reported that all victims were in stable condition with no serious injuries.
The driver of the Tundra, who is 32 weeks pregnant, was transported to IMSS Clinic 1 as a precaution. IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) is Mexico’s public social security health system. Police placed the Tundra driver in custody pending investigation into the cause of the crash.
Case Referred to State Attorney General
Authorities have referred the case to the FGE (Fiscalía General del Estado), Baja California’s State Attorney General’s office, for a formal inquiry into liability. The Tundra’s California license plates indicate the driver may have crossed from the U.S. side of the border.
Company-provided transport buses like Settepi’s are a common sight on Tijuana’s roads, particularly during maquiladora shift changes in the morning and late afternoon. These large vehicles carry dozens of factory workers between residential neighborhoods and industrial parks. Rear-end chain collisions on busy arterials such as Derecho de Vía, which runs through Terrazas del Valle, are a recurring hazard during peak traffic hours.
Terrazas del Valle sits in Tijuana’s eastern corridor, an area with heavy industrial and residential traffic. Drivers crossing from San Diego into Tijuana should be aware that afternoon commute patterns around maquiladora zones create congested conditions with frequent sudden stops.
This story was first reported by Jornada BC.