- The incident occurred on US Highway 57 near the farming community of Batesville, and left two innocent Americans dead, local authorities said.
A suspected migrant smuggler and seven others are dead after a collision in rural Texas.
The incident occurred on US Highway 57 near the farming community of Batesville, and left two innocent Americans dead, local authorities said.
The early-morning crash happened some 50 miles from the border around 8am, and state officials later revealed the pair hailed from Georgia. Both were in the front seat of an SUV struck by the suspected smuggler’s vehicle.
That car, cops said, had been evading arrest from the Zavala County Sherriff’s Office just before the crash – which happened as it attempted to pass an 18-wheeler in a no-passing zone.
DPS Troopers later confirmed that several of the deceased – including the aforementioned smuggler – were from Honduras. In a statement, officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety said their investigation was ongoing.
Sharing photos of the two totaled vehicles, Lieutenant Chris Olivarez of the department said: [Texas DPS] is investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash on US 57 near Batesville.
‘The driver in a Honda passenger car from Houston suspected of human smuggling was evading from Zavala COSO when the driver passed an 18-wheeler in a no-passing zone,’ the officer added.
‘The driver drove head-on with a Chevy SUV, causing the vehicle to burst into flames, killing the driver & passenger from Georgia.
‘As a result, five passengers, including the suspected smuggler of the Honda, were killed.
‘Troopers confirmed several of the deceased are from Honduras. Identities will be released once the next of kin is notified,’ the department spokesperson added.
‘This is still an ongoing investigation.’
