US woman killed, others injured in collision between tourists on ATVs and vehicle near Jaco

November 13^th, 2015 (ICR News)  A spectacular crash between five tourists on ATVs and a passenger vehicle on the road between Tarcoles and Jaco, Puntarenas left a US woman dead and others injured shortly after 5pm Wednesday evening.

The deceased was identified as 39-year-old US citizen, Melissa Culberth, according to the Red Cross.  The woman died at the scene, officials said.

Another 54-year-old US citizen, whose identity was not immediately available but is believed to be the deceased’s husband, was traveling on the same ATV with Culberth and suffered severe injuries, according to the Red Cross.  The man was rushed to the Monseñor Sanabria Hospital in Puntarenas in critical condition, according to the Red Cross.

Three other tourists on ATVs that traveled with the group suffered minor injuries and were treated at a clinic in Jaco, the Red Cross said.

The driver of the passenger vehicle, identified as 28-year-old Tracy Alpizar Gonzalez who works for Banco Popular in Jaco, also suffered serious injuries and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

According to the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) and the Traffic Police, there was no rain at the time and visibility was clear.  The road is also well demarcated, according to officials.

It is believed that the tourists, who had rented the ATVs only hours earlier, may have been attempting to pass the passenger vehicle at the time of the accident, though the cause of the accident remains under investigation.