The driver of a dump truck loaded with building material lost brake power while traveling on the downhill slope of the Libramiento bypass early Monday, August 19, causing the vehicle to careen out of control and overturn at the junction with the Chapala-Jocotepec highway.
In attempting regain control and avoid a collision as he approached the intersection, the driver side-swiped a sedan headed parallel in the left hand lane just before the truck flipped over. No one was injured in the incident. The car was reported with minor damages on the passenger side and the truck lost its heavy load of tezontle volcanic rock on the side of the road.
Traffic police arrived to survey the scene for an accident report and direct vehicles through the subsequent traffic jam. Chapala’s Civil Protection and Fire Department arrived to assist in maneuvers to right the truck and clear debris from the roadway.
The busy intersection has been the site of numerous accidents attributed to brake failures of large trucks. In November 2016 a water tanker demolished four cars as it barreled across the highway before landing in the Walmart parking lot. A local physician survived severe injuries as his van was struck full-on, and a number of other drivers and passengers were also hurt.
In the aftermath, incumbent mayor Javier Degollado proposed building an emergency escape ramp for runaway trucks near the south end of the bypass, among several other safety measures. So far, no part of the project has been accomplished.