Flemish Student, 18, Killed in Mexico Traffic Accident
An 18-year-old Flemish exchange student has died in a traffic accident in Atlacomulco, in Mexico’s State of Mexico, in the early hours of Saturday 10 October. The teenager, reported by Belgian media to be from Antwerp, was in the country on a gap year with the exchange organisation AFS Low Lands and was living with a host family.
Her death was confirmed by Caroline Steyaert, general director of AFS Low Lands, who said the circumstances of the crash were still being established. A Mexican friend who was with her was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
What Happened
According to VRT NWS, Steyaert said the student had agreed with her host mother to attend a party together with a Mexican friend from her university. “What is certain is that the girl was hit by a passing car after she stepped out of a vehicle. She then died at the scene,” Steyaert said.
The accident occurred around local midnight on the Circuito Jorge Jimenez Cantu, in the Los Arcos area near the Felipe Urena neighbourhood. Belgian media reported that the family of the victim was notified on the evening of Saturday 10 October.
Differing Accounts
Mexican local reporting offers additional detail that differs in part from the Belgian account. According to SeUno Noticias, a black Volkswagen Jetta with State of Mexico plates ended up between the medians of the circuit, and police first reports indicate the teenager was thrown from the vehicle during the impact before being struck by another car.
SeUno Noticias reported that four minors were travelling in the Jetta. Besides the girl who died, one other occupant was seriously injured and received pre-hospital treatment, while the other two left the scene. The outlet noted that neither the identity of the driver nor the two who fled has been established in the information available so far.
That report also described the victim as 17, while Belgian sources — including HLN — consistently gave her age as 18. Belgian media, which named Antwerp as her home city, are generally considered the more authoritative source on the victim’s details.
Investigation Underway
The Fiscalia General de Justicia del Estado de Mexico, the State of Mexico prosecutor’s office, has opened proceedings to reconstruct the mechanics of the accident and establish possible responsibility. SeUno Noticias reported that excessive speed has been mentioned as a possible cause, alongside unconfirmed versions of intoxication among the occupants; it stressed that neither circumstance has been confirmed and both must be verified through the investigation. Investigators are also examining the role of the driver of the second vehicle and the conditions in which the Jetta’s occupants were travelling.
Safety Questions
AFS Low Lands said it is following the case closely alongside its colleagues at AFS Mexico, the Belgian consulate in Mexico and Belgium’s federal Foreign Affairs department, seeking clarity from local authorities. The organisation’s programme in Mexico places students with host families for a gap year or university exchange and lists 24/7 emergency support among its provisions, according to AFS Vlaanderen.
The death has triggered an outpouring of grief in Belgium and raises broader questions about the safety arrangements and duty of care for young people on study-abroad programmes. The Circuito Jorge Jimenez Cantu, part of the Toluca–Atlacomulco corridor, has a history of serious traffic accidents, including a 2021 pilgrim bus crash and other fatal collisions.
What’s Next
The prosecutor’s investigation is expected to clarify who was driving the Jetta, how the victim came to be outside the vehicle, and whether the driver of the second car bears any responsibility. AFS Low Lands has not indicated whether it will review its safety protocols, and it remains unclear whether the age discrepancy between Belgian and Mexican reporting will be resolved by official sources. For now, the organisation said its priority is supporting the family and obtaining clarity from local authorities.