#Illegal #Accident #California #Biden #Border
The Ford SUV that was carrying '25 illegal immigrants' as it pulled out in front of a semi-truck in southern California early on Tuesday morning had seats removed to allow for more people to be packed in, according to new reports.
At least 13 people were killed, including ten Mexican nationals, when the crash occurred on State Route 115 in the area of El Centro, 10 miles north of the US-Mexico border, at around 6:15am local time, authorities said.
The SUV, a maroon Ford Expedition, had been driving westbound on Norrish Road when it traveled 'in the direct path' of an unloaded gravel truck heading northbound on 115.
Victims were flung from the crowded car, which normally can only safely hold eight people, onto the road, authorities said.
'I don't know if they were cut out or removed, I'm not sure, but they were not in the vehicle,' said California Highway Patrol Chief Omar Watson of the SUV's back seats. 'What it indicates is that there were not enough safety belts for the passengers.'
The driver of the Expedition, a 22-year-old Mexican national from Mexicali, was among those killed. It is not yet known why he drove into the intersection in front of the semi truck and if he had stopped at the stop sign, or if the vehicle was registered to him.
The Mexican Consulate confirmed to CNN that at least ten of those killed were Mexican but that it was still trying to confirm the identity of the other three victims.
Authorities said in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon that many of the passengers of the SUV did not speak English and that they had not provided further information on what caused the crash.
Earlier Tuesday, chief executive officer of El Centro Regional, Dr. Adolphe Edward, said he believed that all the victims in the SUV were undocumented migrants.
The claim is yet to be confirmed by authorities but a Border Patrol source told Fox News that they were undocumented.
The source added that the crash happened after a hole had been cut in the border fence near Calexico and two vehicles crammed with people had driven through in the early hours of the morning. They added that it had evaded a mobile camera system set up nearby.
Fox reported that the source claimed border patrol had not been on the look out for human smugglers until it was informed by Imperial County Sheriffs Office of the crash that happened eight miles away later that morning.
Twelve people were found dead at the scene of the crash, including the driver of the Ford, and another victim died after arriving at El Centro Regional Medical Center, California Highway Patrol Chief Omar Watson said in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
An area hospital had initially said at least 15 had died, but CHP later clarified the numbers.
Several other passengers of the SUV were also hurt, all aged between their early 20s and their 50s.
At least five of the injured were airlifted from the scene, three of whom are currently in intensive care at the trauma center of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.
The 69-year-old semi driver from El Centro, California, was also taken to hospital for his injuries. He is expected to survive.
The truck struck the left side of the SUV, which appeared to have been pushed off the road.
'It would be premature for me to speculate or discuss what caused this collision. What we have to keep in mind is that 13 people died in this crash,' Watson said. 'It's a very sad situation.'
'Twenty-five passengers were inside the Ford Expedition at the time of impact. The older-model Ford should only fit eight people,' Watson said.
'Obviously, that vehicle's not meant for that many people,' he added. 'It's unfortunate that that many people were put into that vehicle because there´s not enough safety constraints to safely keep those people in that vehicle.'
Numerous people were ejected from the vehicle, while others 'were able to pull themselves' out of the wreck, according to Watson. Injuries are said to vary in severity from fractures, to chest injuries, to head traumas.
He said that several of those in the car had identification cards with them but would not confirm their nationalities. Watson added that the youngest person in the car was 16 years old and that there were no young children as previously reported.
He added that there was an even split of women and men in the vehicle but that he couldn't say where they were traveling from.
'We are close to the border so we do have people who come back and forth on a daily basis for work so that something that we couldn't rule out,' Watson said.
Macario Mora, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection in Yuma and El Centro, told KTLA his department is assisting with the investigation into the crash.
He said the immigration status of those in the SUV was unknown and is currently being investigated.
