A Weekend That Ended in Tragedy
The province of Mendoza is experiencing one of the most painful events in recent years. Ariadna Tillar, 54, mother of sisters Juana and Rosario Masó Tillar, died this Tuesday, August 18, at Hospital Perrupato, where she remained hospitalized with severe injuries after the head-on crash that occurred on Sunday, August 16, on Provincial Route 60, at the height of Callejón Piperbo, in the Fray Luis Beltrán area of Maipú.
With her death, there are now four fatal victims of an accident that has brought grief to two entire families and leaves two other injured people under observation.
The Victims of the Accident
| Name | Age | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ariadna Tillar | 54 | Died on 08/18 |
| Juana Masó Tillar | 21 | Died on 08/17 |
| Rosario Masó Tillar | 19 | Died on 08/17 |
| Oscar "Chacha" Fernández Mercau | 48 | Died at the scene |
| Martín Omar Tillar | 52 | Hospitalized, stable |
| Florencia Bettalemmi | 42 | Hospitalized, out of danger |
How the Tragedy Happened
The crash occurred around 8:30 PM on Sunday, August 16, when a Volkswagen T-Cross traveling west on Route 60, driven by Martín Omar Tillar (52), attempted an overtaking maneuver and collided head-on with a Peugeot 504 coming in the opposite direction.
The driver of the Peugeot was Oscar Aníbal "Chacha" Fernández Mercau, 48, a well-known amateur soccer referee from the eastern zone of Maipú, who died instantly from the force of the impact.
Five people were traveling in the SUV: the driver, his partner Florencia Bettalemmi (42), his sister Ariadna Tillar (54), and his nieces Juana (21) and Rosario (19) Masó Tillar.
The Hours of Agony
After the collision, emergency services worked for more than two hours to rescue occupants trapped in the wreckage. The sisters were urgently transferred to the Central Hospital of Mendoza in critical condition.
- Juana, the eldest, an Industrial Engineering student at the University of Mendoza, died on Monday, August 17, at 5:44 PM due to cardiorespiratory arrest.
- Rosario, a Psychology student at UCA Mendoza, died hours later, around 8:00 PM, with irreversible brain death.
The mother, Ariadna Tillar, had been hospitalized at Hospital Perrupato in San Martín with fractures to her tibia and fibula and a lower jaw injury. Despite medical efforts, her condition worsened and she died this Tuesday.
Martín Omar Tillar remains hospitalized at Hospital Lagomaggiore with multiple trauma, conscious and stable. Florencia Bettalemmi, 42, suffered severe head trauma and was in intensive care at Hospital El Carmen, though in recent hours she was reported out of danger.
The Discovery of a Weapon
During the post-accident operation, officers from the Highway Police found a Bersa Thunder .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the glove compartment of the Peugeot 504. The weapon was seized and placed at the disposal of the courts for the corresponding forensic analysis.
The case has been classified as negligent homicide and is being handled by Traffic Prosecutor Mariana Gutiérrez, who will determine the responsibilities of the SUV driver in the maneuver that triggered the impact.
The Grief of a Community
The news has generated a wave of shock in Mendoza. The Mendoza Soccer Referees Association bid farewell to Fernández Mercau on social media: "In these difficult times, we want to express our most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace".
UCA Mendoza issued a statement regarding Rosario's death: "We accompany the family and friends of Rosario Masó Tillar, a Psychology student from our Faculty, who left us physically. We raise our prayers in the face of such deep pain".
The Colegio San Luis Gonzaga, where both sisters attended high school, also spoke out: "With deep sorrow, we accompany the family and friends of Juana and Rosario Masó, former students of our School. We join in prayer and closeness to their family and to the entire class of 2023 and 2025".
Rosario Pérez, a close friend of Juana, dedicated a heartbreaking message to her on Instagram: "You were the sister I never had but always wanted. You taught me everything except how to let you go".
The girls' father, Andrés Masó, bid them farewell on social media with a message that sums up the pain of a shattered family: "My two angels".