Conflicting reports, inconsistencies cloud accident

BROWNSVILLE - Conflicting reports and inconsistencies have begun to cloud the investigation into the tragic accident that killed one 14-year-old Saint Joseph Academy student and injured four others, investigators said.

It was originally reported Monday that Juan Garcia, of Matamoros, was behind the wheel of the red 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 during an accident at 1 a.m. Sunday in Matamoros, according to Matamoros Traffic Police Director Saul Miranda Flores.

Garcia was traveling down Boulevard Manuel Cavazos Lerma at a speed upward of 100 mph when he lost control of the vehicle after hitting a line of road markers, Miranda said. The pickup then flipped over repeatedly and landed on a concrete pillar.

The traffic police report lists Carlos Emilio Rodriguez, who died at the scene, and Marcos Cuellar, Mauricio Martinez and  Oscar Del Castillo as passengers in the vehicle. All five of the students were freshmen at Saint Joseph Academy in Brownsville.

Miranda stated that because there was a fatality in the accident, the case was turned over to the 4th Agency of the Public Ministry, which is in charge of investigating and prosecuting criminal matters.

According to a representative from the 4th Agency of the Public Ministry, the file is open and the agency is gathering information regarding the incident. However, unless there is a formal complaint from the victim's parents, the case will not move forward, said the representative, who refused give his name.

"Once we get a formal complaint, then we can move on and get an arrest warrant and proceed with the case," he said.

The representative stated that, according to their files, Juan Garcia was not the driver of the vehicle. The legal driving age is 16 in Mexico.

"This is a mistake that the media made, the driver was an adult male with a license," he said, contradicting traffic police reports.

Further queries into the name of the alleged driver went unanswered and the representative refused to release the name, citing the need for a formal meeting.

Saint Joseph Academy President Brother Charles Imbegramo said that Garcia, Cuellar and Martinez received minor injuries as the result of the accident.

As of 3 p.m., del Castillo was listed in critical condition at Cook's Children's Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Kristin Peaks.