A Tijuana judge released the driver who fatally struck 8-year-old María Belén on Boulevard Cucapah, ruling that the woman could not have foreseen the accident and placing blame instead on a fleeing minibus driver and the girl’s mother.
The collision occurred on July 1 when María Belén stepped off a public minibus, known locally as a calafia, and attempted to cross the busy boulevard in Colonia Planicie. Jessica Lizet, driving a Jeep Wrangler, struck the child. Surveillance footage confirmed the parked bus blocked Jessica’s sightline, and she did not see the girl before impact.
Judge Rules Driver Could Not Foresee Collision
At a July 3 initial hearing, the judge declined to bind Jessica over for trial on culpable homicide charges. The court found she could not have anticipated a child stepping into traffic from behind a stopped bus. The judge ordered her immediate release.
The ruling rested partly on Article 80 of Tijuana’s Municipal Traffic Code. That provision allows vehicles to pass on the left where no designated passenger loading zone or pedestrian crossing is marked. Because the calafia stopped in an unsignalized zone with no marked crosswalk, Jessica was driving within the law when the collision occurred.
Blame Shifted to Bus Driver and Mother
The judge directed blame at two other parties. The calafia driver, identified only by route number 568, stopped in an unauthorized zone to let passengers off and then fled the scene. Authorities have not detained that driver as of July 4.
The court also found that María Belén’s mother allowed the child to cross the street unaccompanied, in violation of municipal traffic regulations. The judge noted that the mother’s conduct could be referred to DIF (Mexico’s child welfare agency) for review.
Community Organizes Fundraiser for Funeral Costs
The case has drawn strong reactions in Colonia Planicie, the working-class neighborhood in southeastern Tijuana where the family lives. Neighbors have organized a kermesse, a community fundraiser fair, scheduled for Sunday, July 6, to help cover María Belén’s funeral expenses.
The ruling carries practical weight for anyone who drives Tijuana’s major boulevards. Calafias frequently stop outside designated zones to pick up and drop off passengers, creating dangerous blind spots for other drivers and pedestrians alike. Boulevard Cucapah, a major north-south artery through the city’s eastern districts, carries heavy traffic throughout the day.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte on July 4.