Five Killed as Illegals Fleeing Border Agents Crash, Sheriff Says Not Surprising
An SUV carrying a dozen illegal immigrants crashed while trying to flee border agents in Texas on Sunday, killing five people who were ejected from the speeding vehicle, according to local media reports.
The crash occurred around noon, when Border Patrol Agents attempted to stop a Chevrolet Suburban traveling on Highway 85 in Dimmit County, a rural expanse near the Texas-Mexico border.
With border agents giving chase, the SUV reached speeds of about 100 miles an hour before the driver lost control and caused the vehicle to roll over, San Antonio’s WOAI-TV reported, citing the Dimmit County Sheriff’s office.
As many as 12 illegal immigrants were ejected during the rollover, four of whom died at the scene.
A fifth migrant was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
A video posted to the Facebook page of San Antonio’s KSAT-TV shows the twisted and charred wreckage of the SUV in the middle of the highway, with what appear to be bodies covered in white sheets along the shoulder.
A total of 14 people were in the SUV, including the driver and a person sitting in the front passenger seat.
Both are believed to be U.S. citizens and are currently in police custody, Dimmit County Sheriff Marion Boyd said.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials said some of the injured migrants were transported by medical helicopters to San Antonio Military Medical Center, and others were taken by ambulance to local hospitals.
Addressing reporters at the scene of the crash, Boyd said the incident was not a surprise given the volume of illegal immigration through Dimmit County.
“Not unusual, not unusual at all,” he said.
“We’ve seen this many, many times in not only this county but other counties along the border. It’s a problem and perfect example of why our borders need to be secure.”
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