A vehicle carrying undocumented immigrants flipped Sunday, ejecting 12 people and killing at least five in south Texas, Dimmit County Sheriff Marion Boyd said.
Four people were killed at the scene and a fifth person died at a hospital in San Antonio, the sheriff said.
Border Patrol agents began chasing the vehicle around noon before a Dimmit County sheriff’s deputy took over the chase, just west of Big Wells, Boyd said. The vehicle was traveling around 100 mph, the sheriff said.
“The vehicle ran off the road and caught gravel and then tried to recorrect and then caused the vehicle to turn over several times,” he said.
He said there were 14 people in the vehicle. Authorities believe the driver and one passenger are US citizens and the 12 other passengers were undocumented immigrants, Boyd said.
The sheriff said he didn’t know where the immigrants were from.
“We’ve seen this many, many times, in not only this county but other counties along the border,” Boyd said. “It’s a problem.”
He added: “This is a perfect example of why our borders need to be secure.”
Footage from a motorist who witnessed the crash and posted video to Facebook shortly after shows at least four bodies on the ground, the mangled Chevrolet and several Border Patrol vehicles at the scene.
When asked why Border Patrol agents started the chase, Boyd said, “It’s called good police work.”
