Crash Kills 6, Injures 9 After Police Chase Undocumented Immigrants In Texas
A crash killed 6 people and injured 9 others in Texas after police chased a truck said to be crammed with undocumented immigrants.
Police said there were 15 people in the truck that slammed into a security barrier at a Navy facility in Texas. Ten people were in the truck’s cab while another five were under a tarp in the truck’s bed, said John Gagne, spokesman for Naval Air Station Kingsville.
The chase started late on Wednesday when the pickup sped past an officer at the base’s man gate, prompting a chase from police. Guards at the base put a pop-up barrier outside a second security post, and the GMC truck slammed into it at full speed, causing the crash the killed 6.
Police said that wasn’t the intention.
“That’s exactly what the barrier is designed to prevent,” Gagne said, referring to the driver’s behavior. “It’s quite possible this guy didn’t even know where he was.”
At close to 12:33 am, the Department of Public Safety was called to the scene of the crash. Officials said no one other than those in the truck were injured.
The 6 people killed all died instantly, authorities said, and the injured were taken to local hospitals by ambulance and air. The US Border Patrol classified the passengers as undocumented immigrants.
The front gate at the base was closed to all outgoing traffic after the crash. Another gate at Caesar Street was open to both incoming and outgoing traffic until further notice, authorities said.
It was the second high-speed chase in Texas within a matter of hours. Police said a crash that took place midday Thursday in Montague County may have been related to the killing of a Colorado prison chief 700 miles away earlier in the week.
Police said the driver of a Cadillac fired at police during and after the chase. He was shot by police and was said to be “legally deceased,” though he was being kept on a ventilator until his organs could be donated.
The names of the 6 people killed in the crash were not released.
