Ciudad Victoria: 22-year-old football player dies in car accident

A 22-year-old man, identified as Santiago Robertony Mata Salazar (known as ‘Tony Mata’), died following a car accident in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, early Sunday morning.

According to preliminary reports, the accident occurred around 4:20 a.m. on Avenida de la Unidad. Mata was driving a Honda when he lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road, and struck a palm tree. Authorities are investigating excessive speed as a potential factor in the crash. Emergency responders from the Centro Regulador de Urgencias Médicas (CRUM) confirmed he had no vital signs upon arrival. State Civil Protection used hydraulic equipment to extract his body from the vehicle.

Mata was a well-known local football player who had played for several teams in the region, including TDN, Tío Pepe, and La Catrina FC. The Hospital Civil de Ciudad Victoria expressed condolences, noting that Mata was the son of the institution's medical subdirector, Dr. Eduardo Mata Zúñiga.