After her family, soccer was everything to Leti Zurita. She lived and breathed it. Her left leg was her greatest strength: with it, she scored goals from mid-range and long-range, as well as from penalty kicks.
Everything changed on March 14th, when she was heading home after a match. While riding her motorcycle on Paseo Tabasco and Avenida 27 de Febrero in Villahermosa, she was struck by a pickup truck.
As a result of the impact, she suffered the amputation of her left leg; to this day, she doesn’t remember exactly how the accident happened; the only thing she’s certain of is that the driver of the truck ran a red light.
“If I’d had time to swerve, I would have. It’s all ‘what ifs’ (…) it all happened so fast.
“If I’d been going faster, I wouldn’t be here to tell the tale. I think that’s what kept me alive, as far as I can go. Sadly, I’m not where I’d like to be, but I’m alive,” she said.
To this day, she doesn’t know how the accident happened. The only thing she’s sure of is that the driver of the pickup truck ran a red light and hit her.
“I was unconscious for a while. It was a very hard impact. I was wearing a helmet, I mean, I had protection. Wearing a helmet saved my life (…) later, when my sister went to see (the accident scene), there were pieces of my leg stuck to the hood of the pickup truck,” she said.
Leti is a single mother, 33 years old, and the main provider for her parents. She graduated from the Technological University of Tabasco (UTTAB), where she studied Information Technology Engineering.
More than a month after the accident, she still doesn’t know what happened. She lives in fear and uncertainty, as she is a trusted employee at the State Secretariat of Administration and Finance.
The person responsible has not been arrested and remains free, and so far she has been covering the expenses with her savings. The State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) has not provided her with any updates on the case in investigation file 388/2026.
Therefore, after regaining some strength, she decided to share her story on social media.
“This was me before: athletic, happy, cheerful, fun-loving. My only passion has been soccer, where I’ve experienced joy, been a champion, and my son has been there for me.”
Leti is focused on raising funds, first to pay for her rehabilitation, although the biggest expense will be buying a prosthesis, which costs around 100,000 pesos.
She has started holding raffles and also requesting support by collecting signatures through the Change.org platform.
“I’m going to knock on doors because I want to get through this,” she said.
Leti knows her life has taken a turn. A complete 180-degree turn. Today, she focuses on moving forward in every way, although she knows that, for the moment, soccer is out of the question. Therefore, the many uniforms she used and even the shoes she played in have been put away.
“I can’t do many things anymore, and it’s not just soccer. Everyday things I can’t do hurt, even taking my son to school,” she said.
Today, all she has left are the trophies and medals she won, the memories of the trips to compete in other states, and the videos of her celebrations.
Those who wish to join in and help Leti can contact her at 993 290 1149. She assures that any contribution will make a difference in her goal of acquiring a prosthesis.
Source: xevt
