A red Ford F-150 crashed into a sugar cane truck near August Pine Ridge Sunday night, killing three men. A woman and two young children survived but remain hospitalized, authorities said.
A violent crash on a highway near August Pine Ridge has left three families grieving after a pickup collided with a sugar cane truck Sunday night.
The victims were residents of San Felipe and August Pine Ridge, according to authorities.. They were traveling in a red Ford F-150 when it crashed with a truck loaded with sugar cane just outside August Pine Ridge Village.. A woman and her two young children were also in the pickup and survived the impact, though they suffered injuries and were taken to hospital.
Authorities identified the deceased as 35-year-old Byron Magaña, his partner Sherlin Henriquez, and 29-year-old Selvin Cortez.. The crash tore through the pickup’s structure, with severe damage reported on the driver’s side, including the roof being ripped back.. Remnants of the sugar cane truck were left along the highway, a grim visual marker of how forcefully the vehicles collided.
Misryoum understands that the investigation is focused on how the vehicles were moving in relation to each other before the collision.. Staff officers said a preliminary assessment suggested the vehicles were traveling in different directions.. The pickup, carrying the three occupants who later died, was alleged to have collided with the left front portion of one of the trailers being towed by a freightliner truck.
As officials described it, the impact caused the pickup to lose control and careen.. That loss of control is one of the factors investigators often examine in serious highway crashes because it can determine both the severity of the initial impact and how far a vehicle veers before it comes to a stop.
For those who knew the victims, the tragedy is personal and immediate.. Magaña’s father, Polo Magana, said the family was shocked by the news.. He described a routine of the couple and family members going out on weekends, often traveling to spend time elsewhere, including across the border, but he said the accident was still impossible to process.
“He and his wife.. His wife was a very good person too,” Magana said, struggling to make sense of how quickly life changed.. Investigators later noted that the news of Cortez’s death was initially withheld from his wife because of a serious head injury, underscoring the difficult hours that follow a crash when families are waiting for answers.
Cortez and Magaña were not just connected by the road.. They were friends and co-workers, both employed as drivers with Tillett’s Bus Service.. Cortez lived a couple blocks from Magaña, and they had overlapping routines in the community.. Misryoum also learned that Magaña and Henriquez had been together for about a year and were residing on Magaña’s father’s property.
A 17-year-old nephew of Cortez, Christopher Cruz, recounted how he heard about the accident and rushed to the scene.. He said he was in his room getting ready to sleep when family members arrived to tell him his uncle had been involved in a crash.. When he finally reached the area, the sight of the damaged vehicles left him crying.. Cruz added that his father was going to the accident site, but by the time he arrived, the injured and deceased had already been taken away.
The loss is also tied to a recent moment of support.. Cruz said Cortez had helped him take a step toward building his future.. He recently asked Cortez for help purchasing a motorcycle to start a welding business, and Cruz said his uncle responded without hesitation.. “He was a good person,” Cruz said, remembering that Cortez never refused when asked for help.
While two children and their mother begin a recovery that Misryoum expects will take time, the road ahead for the families is likely to be shaped by more than hospital visits.. Serious crashes often leave survivors with months of physical rehabilitation needs, and they can also bring longer-term stress and uncertainty for relatives trying to understand what happened and why.
Community mourns as investigations continue
Authorities have not said what other factors—such as speed, driver reaction, or road conditions—might have contributed, and a preliminary finding does not close the case.. But the details already released highlight how quickly a trip can end in catastrophe when vehicles involved in freight transport share a roadway and when impacts happen at critical angles.
For the families left behind, the immediate priority is healing and answers.. For the wider community, the crash is a warning that safety on open roads must stay at the center of attention, especially where trucks and trailers are a regular part of travel and work.. Misryoum will continue to follow developments as investigations progress and as those injured receive the care they need.