A two-vehicle crash on the Ensenada-San Felipe highway killed one driver and injured two other people on Tuesday, June 3. The collision occurred near kilometer 138, a remote stretch of Route 3 between the communities of San Matías and Valle de la Trinidad.
Volunteer firefighters and rescue crews from Valle de la Trinidad responded to the scene around noon. They found the driver of one vehicle dead at the site. A man and a woman traveling together in a black Ford Escape sustained injuries to their arms and abdomen.
Injured Couple Taken to Local Clinic
Emergency responders transported the injured couple to the clinic in Valle de la Trinidad for treatment. The identities of the deceased driver and the two injured passengers have not been released. Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the crash or whether speed, road conditions, or mechanical failure played a role.
A Remote and Challenging Route
Route 3, the Ensenada-San Felipe highway, is the primary road connecting the wine country around Ensenada to the Sea of Cortez coast at San Felipe. The highway passes through Valle de la Trinidad and the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir foothills before descending into the desert on the Gulf side. Kilometer 138 sits in one of the most isolated sections of the route, roughly midway between the two cities.
The area around San Matías and Valle de la Trinidad has limited medical infrastructure. The nearest major hospital is in Ensenada, about two hours to the west. Response times for serious accidents in this corridor can be significantly longer than in urban areas, and cell phone service is spotty along much of the route.
Drivers heading to San Felipe, Mike’s Sky Ranch, or the Parque Nacional Sierra de San Pedro Mártir regularly use this highway. The road features sharp curves, steep grades, and stretches with no guardrails. Livestock occasionally wanders onto the pavement, particularly near ranching communities.
This story was first reported by Ensenada.net.