On Thursday morning, a car crash killed seven people when the vehicle was fleeing from the US Border Patrol in downtown El Paso, Texas. The incident is considered one of the deadliest in recent years in El Paso.
Horrific car crash
According to USA Today, the devastating crash occurred on West Paisano Drive at around 2:17 a.m. near a Union Depot by West San Antonio Avenue.
The vehicle, which was a gray Chevrolet Cruze, had ten people inside it when it crashed, said Sg. Robert Gomez, the El Paso police spokesman.
The agency announced that agents of the border patrol attempted to block the vehicle, which then drove off.
While driving towards Paisano Drive, the vehicle failed to make a curve in the road, which caused it to lose its balance and crashed into a nearby parked trailer that a business used for storage, said Gomez, as reported by NY Daily News.
The other three passengers were injured during the incident but have since been transferred to a hospital and called to be in stable condition. The medical examiner of El Paso County is cooperating with police officers to learn about the deceased's identities.
In the scene of the accident, a woman was seen, presumably the mother of one of the victims, crying out and referring to her daughter while a man could be seen trying to console her.
After the crash, the car was torn in two as the pieces were later carried away by two tow trucks.
Officials believe that a smuggler used the car and was filled with an excess number of passengers to transport the victims, which are thought to be undocumented immigrants.
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Currently, the US Border Patrol is supporting the active investigation in the case that the El Paso Police Department is leading. The CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility is also looking into the details of the car crash as well as the victims.
It is a common occurrence for smugglers to try and transport migrants by fitting them inside a small vehicle and bring them to a separate location.
A similar incident
The accident is documented to be the second fatal crash on West Paisano that Border Patrol is involved with, as reported by El Paso Times.
In January, a man from Ecuador lost his life when a Ford Explorer fleeing from Border Patrol lost control and crashed in the stretch of West Paisano Drive.
The chase between Border Patrol and the crashed vehicle began when four agents spotted four migrants from Ecuador being entered into a 2010 Ford Explorer. The driver of the Ford quickly sped away when the agents approached their vehicle.
While speeding away, the driver of the Ford lost control during a curve in the road, causing the vehicle to roll into a light pole and a tree. The crash resulted in the death of one passenger and three injured.
Authorities arrested Daniel Humberto Castillo-Nunez, the 35-year-old driver of the vehicle and charged him with intoxication manslaughter and allegedly running from the crash.
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