Six undocumented immigrants left dead after car accident near Texas border
While their truck was being pursued by police, six suspected undocumented immigrants were killed and nine were injured after crashing into a security barrier at the Naval Air Station in Kingsville Texas. Spokesman for the Naval Air Station Jon Gagne said that the gate guard tried to greet the vehicle, a 1996 GMC Sierra pickup, as it approached the gate that night, but the driver sped through without stopping. According to Senior Cpl. Charlie Ramirez, pop-up barriers were activated beyond the gate, which the vehicle crashed into. “There are two guardhouses when you enter the grounds of the base,” said Ramirez. When the vehicle did not stop at the first door and tried to enter the naval base, the guards activated the safety barrier, and the car crashed head on. Accidents involving undocumented immigrants on or near the border have become more frequent as U.S. border security has been improved and immigrants have taken more drastic measures to enter the country. In April 2012, four undocumented immigrants who were traveling in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley were injured when their truck rolled over several times. Just days later, nine more undocumented Mexican immigrants were killed when a minivan carrying 19 people rolled over in Palmview, Tex. Palmview authorities reported that the accident happened only blocks away from where the Border Patrol had conducted a traffic stop. The driver had stopped for a brief moment but then sped off in a failed attempt to get away with his human cargo. All of these accidents were caused due to smugglers overloading their vehicles in order to maximize their profits. Captain Tom Copeland from the Goliad County Sheriff’s Officer said, “The more people he can pack into a vehicle and get through, the more money he makes.” Following a July 2012 accident in which 15 people were killed. He added, “It’s a tragedy for the families that are wondering if their family members made it.” If you have been injured in a car accident, perhaps caused by these smugglers, contact an accidents attorney today. Attorneys at the Bettersworth Law Firm can assist you in Texas court today.
