A Sunday Tragedy on Route 60
On Sunday, August 16, 2026, at approximately 8:30 PM, a Peugeot 504 and a Volkswagen T-Cross collided head-on at the intersection of Provincial Route 60 and Piperbo Alley, in the town of Fray Luis Beltrán, Maipú, Mendoza. The impact was so severe that it left three dead and four injured.
The driver of the Peugeot, Oscar Aníbal Fernández Mercau, 48, was rushed to Central Hospital but died on the way. Fernández was a well-known amateur football referee from the eastern zone of Mendoza, deeply loved in his community of Tres Porteñas.
The Masó Tillar Sisters: Two Lives Cut Short
In the T-Cross traveled five people, all from the same family. The vehicle was driven by Martín Omar Tillar (52), the girls' uncle, accompanied by his partner Florencia Bettalemmi (42), his sister Ariadna Tillar (54), and his nieces Juana (20) and Rosario (19) Masó Tillar.
According to initial investigations, the T-Cross attempted an overtaking maneuver on another vehicle and ended up crashing head-on into the Peugeot, which was entering the road from a public alley and turning east.
The sisters, originally from Chacras de Coria (Luján de Cuyo), were taken with severe multiple trauma to Central Hospital. Juana died on Monday, August 17, at 5:44 PM after suffering a cardiorespiratory arrest. Rosario, 19, was declared brain-dead around 8:00 PM the same Monday, confirming the third fatality.
The Other Injured: Health Status
The remaining occupants of the T-Cross were also injured:
- Martín Omar Tillar (52): multiple trauma, stable and conscious at Lagomaggiore Hospital.
- Florencia Bettalemmi (42): severe head trauma with loss of consciousness, in intensive care at El Carmen Hospital.
- Ariadna Tillar (54): fracture of tibia and fibula and fracture of lower jaw, in intensive care at Perrupato Hospital.
The Discovery of a Pistol
During subsequent procedures, Highway Police found a Bersa Thunder .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside the Peugeot 504. The weapon was seized and placed at the disposal of the courts for forensic analysis. The investigation is led by the Maipú Fiscal Office, which classified the case as negligent homicide.
Community Grief
The news shocked the town of Tres Porteñas, where Fernández lived. From Radio Más FM 106.1 they published a farewell message: “A great collaborator who was always present and supported our sporting events, leaving his mark and the affection of our entire community”. Neighbors and friends left dozens of messages on social media, remembering the referee who had officiated a match in the area just hours before.
The Masó Tillar sisters were students: Juana was studying Industrial Engineering at the University of Mendoza and Rosario was in pre-Medicine. Their deaths caused deep sadness in the academic and social circles of Luján de Cuyo.
The accident adds to a series of fatal road accidents in the province of Mendoza, which in recent weeks have raised alarms about road safety on provincial routes.
Sources: Mendoza Post, El Sol, Los Andes, TN