US2 min(s) read
Published 10:39 05 Aug 2021 GMT
An overloaded van crashed on a remote south Texas highway, killing at least 10 people and injuring 20 others.
The tragic collision was confirmed by Sgt. Nathan Brandley of the Texas Department of Public Safety, per People.
On Wednesday, August 4, the vehicle, which was carrying around 30 passengers, crashed around 4 PM on US 281 near Encino - ending the lives of the driver and at least nine passengers.
The driver had been speeding and eventually hit a utility pole before slamming into a stop sign.
Per a news release, the van "attempted to turn right at an unsafe speed and veered off the roadway, striking a metal utility pole and a stop sign."
Each of the 10 people who died in the crash was pronounced dead at the scene.
Around 20 survivors were promptly taken to various medical centers nearby - including McAllen Medical Center, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg, Edinburg Regional Hospital, Corpus Christi Spohn Shoreline, and Spohn Kleberg in Kingsville.
They were reported as having serious to critical injuries, the LA Times reports.
An investigation with the Texas Department of Public Safety is currently underway.
According to the authorities, the vehicle was only designed to carry 15 passengers and was top-heavy when it eventually collapsed. The van was not being pursued at the time of the fatal incident.
The passengers, whose identities are currently being withheld, are believed to be migrants.
Encino is a small community of approximately 140 people about 2 miles south of the Falfurrias border patrol checkpoint, an inspection site for vehicles traveling across the border.
A rise in the number of migrants trying to cross the border has led to an increase in fatal crashes. The vehicles involved in these crashes typically carry people paying large amounts of money to be smuggled into the US.
The tragedy comes months after 13 people lost their lives when an SUV full of 25 migrants crashed into a semi-truck in Holtville, California, near the US-Mexico border on March 3.
Later that month, eight migrants died when the pickup truck they were traveling in collided with another vehicle as they were being pursued by the cops around 30 miles north of Del Rio, Texas.
4 min(s) read
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
us2 min(s) read
Published 08:57 28 Jun 2022 GMT
us4 min(s) read
Published 11:32 30 Jun 2022 GMT
us3 min(s) read
news3 min(s) read
Published 10:47 02 Jul 2022 GMT
us2 min(s) read
Published 14:08 18 Mar 2022 GMT
The bodies of 46 people have been found inside an 18-wheeler truck in San Antonio, Texas.
As reported by The New York Times, the bodies of 46 men and women were discovered on Monday in and around an abandoned tractor-trailer. At least 16 others - 12 adults and four children - were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for apparent dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Outside temperatures of up to 103°F were recorded on Monday.
City officials say that they are all believed to be undocumented migrants who were crossed into the United States from Mexico as part of a human-trafficking scheme.
The San Antonio Police Department has described it as a "horrific tragedy" and is believed to be one of the worst instances of migrant death in the United States in recent years.
In a press conference on Monday, Chief William P. McManus revealed that police first received a call about the track at around 5:50PM (local time).
After hearing "cries for help", a worker in a nearby building "came out to investigate" and found the truck "partially open".
Police, fire trucks, and ambulances were all dispatched to the scene at the 9600 block of Quintana Road.
An official from the San Antonio Fire Department said "stacks of bodies" were found inside the truck, with no signs of water in the truck, per Reuters.
Three people are now in custody, says McManus, although it is unclear if they are "absolutely connected" to the deaths.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has responded to the deaths by blaming President Joe Biden’s "open border policies".
"These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law," Abbott wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has asked people for compassion at this time, tweeting: "Migrants seeking asylum should always be treated as a humanitarian crisis, but this evening we're facing a horrific human tragedy.
"More than 40 hopeful lives were lost. I urge you to think compassionately, pray for the deceased, the ailing, and their families at this moment."
The Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo Garcia Siller, also called for the Biden administration to address immigration reform, writing: "Once again, the lack of courage to deal with immigration reform is killing and destroying lives. We do not learn. God teach us to change. Humanity is at stake constantly. We pray, we love, we trust. Give us strength! We want to do your will."
Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.
Four men have been charged in connection to the abandoned truck found in Texas in which dozens of people were found dead.
On Monday, officials found what they described as "stacks of bodies" inside an abandoned 18-wheeler truck in San Antonio at the 9600 block of Quintana Road.
Emergency services were alerted to the vehicle after a worker in a nearby building heard "cries for help" coming from the vehicle.
City officials later revealed that those on board the truck were undocumented migrants who were being trafficked into the United States from Mexico. However, as temperatures reached 103°F (39°C) in San Antonio, those onboard were struck down with "heat stroke and heat exhaustion".
Officials say that although the vehicle was a refrigerated truck, the system didn't appear to be working and no water was provided to those inside.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the death toll has now risen to 53, as two of the people initially transported to a nearby hospital for treatment sadly passed away.
The incident has become the deadliest migrant-trafficking incident in modern US history.
Additionally, four men have now been arrested and charged in connection to the tragedy.
The US Justice Department has stated that 45-year-old Texas native Homero Zamorano Jr. was arrested near the scene after being found by police hiding in a bush. Zamorano Jr. is believed to be the truck's driver. He has been charged a criminal complaint with one count of "alien smuggling resulting in death".
The Head of Mexico's National Migration Institute, Francisco Garduno, told reporters on Wednesday that Zamorano Jr. had attempted to pass himself off as one of the survivors.
A 28-year-old man by the name of Christian Martinez was also arrested on Tuesday, and later charged with a single count of "conspiracy to transport illegal aliens".
Martinez was linked to Zamorano Jr. after police uncovered communications between the two on the latter's cell phone.
Two other men - who the US Justice Department has named as Mexican nationals Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao and Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez - were arrested in connection with the suspected smuggling. They were later charged with being illegal immigrants in possession of firearms.
Police were able to track down the two men after they were spotted leaving a residence linked to the truck's vehicle registration.
The US Justice Department reports that all four men face life imprisonment - and possibly the death penalty.
Speaking to The Texas Tribune, officials have since revealed further chilling details about the case.
One law enforcement official told the publication that although the truck did have a refrigeration system, it didn't appear to be working.
As a result, temperatures inside the truck continued to become unbearable, and the official says it appears as if people were attempting to jump out of the tractor-trailer - as some bodies were found along several blocks.
The official also revealed that many of those found inside the truck appeared to have "been sprinkled with steak seasoning" in an apparent attempt to "cover up the smell of people".
On Tuesday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also stated that 22 of the dead were Mexican nationals, while seven were from Guatemala and two from Honduras. The nationalities of the remaining people are yet to be confirmed.
Our thoughts continue to go out to all of those affected by this tragedy.
Published 08:19 01 Jul 2022 GMT
More details have emerged about the suspects believed to be involved with the abandoned truck discovered in Texas with dozens of dead bodies inside.
On Monday, officials in San Antonio, Texas, found what they described as "stacks of bodies" inside an abandoned 18-wheeler truck at the 9600 block of Quintana Road.
After a member of the public heard "cries for help" coming from inside the vehicle, police were dispatched to the scene, where they found piles of dead bodies "hot to the touch". Those who had survived the journey were unconscious when police arrived, per BBC News.
City officials later revealed that those on board the truck were undocumented migrants who were being trafficked into the United States from Mexico. However, as temperatures reached 103°F (39°C) in San Antonio, those onboard were struck down with "heat stroke and heat exhaustion".
The tragedy is being called the deadliest migrant-trafficking incident in modern US history, after 53 people died as a result. BBC News reports that 11 people - including children - currently remain in hospital.
Now, a top Mexican immigration official has alleged that the suspected driver of the truck "tried to pass himself off as one of the survivors" after being found by police.
The US Justice Department has revealed that 45-year-old Texas native Homero Zamorano Jr. was arrested after being found by police hiding in a nearby bush. Zamorano has been charged with a criminal complaint with one count of "alien smuggling resulting in death".
Reuters has since reported that Zamorano was allegedly found while under the influence of methamphetamine, according to a US lawmaker citing information from law enforcement.
Three other arrested have also been made in connection to the incident.
A 28-year-old man by the name of Christian Martinez was also arrested on Tuesday, and later charged with a single count of "conspiracy to transport illegal aliens".
Martinez was linked to Zamorano Jr. after police uncovered communications between the two on the latter's cell phone.
Two other men - who the US Justice Department has named as Mexican nationals Juan Francisco D'Luna-Bilbao and Juan Claudio D'Luna-Mendez - were arrested in connection with the suspected smuggling. They were later charged with being illegal immigrants in possession of firearms.
Police were able to track down the two men after they were spotted leaving a residence linked to the truck's vehicle registration.
Of those identified among the dead, Mexico's government has stated that 27 of them were from Mexico, 14 were Hondurans, seven were from Guatemala, and two were from El Salvador.
The US Justice Department reports that all four men face life imprisonment and possibly the death penalty.
Our thoughts continue to go out to all of those affected by this tragedy.
Authorities have revealed the text messages between the two suspects believed to be involved in the abandoned truck that was discovered in Texas with dozens of dead bodies inside.
On Monday, emergency personnel discovered dozens of dead bodies in and around an abandoned 18-wheeler truck in San Antonio, Texas.
Per BBC news, after a nearby worker heard "cries for help" coming from inside the vehicle, law enforcement was dispatched to the scene. Authorities revealed that they found piles of dead bodies “hot to the touch” and those who had survived the journey were unconscious upon arrival.
City officials later disclosed that those on board were undocumented migrants who were being trafficked into the US from Mexico. However, as temperatures reached 103°F (39°C) in San Antonio, those onboard were struck down with "heat stroke and heat exhaustion".
The tragedy is being called the deadliest migrant-trafficking incident in modern US history after 53 people died as a result. BBC News reported that 11 people - including children - currently remain in hospital.
Now, new details have emerged about the two suspects. Police arrested Christian Martinez, 28, on Tuesday, on a trafficking charge involving death that could result in life in prison or the death penalty.
Martinez’s text messages with the semi-trucks alleged driver, 45-year-old Homero Zamorano Jr., who tried to disguise himself as a victim, were revealed in a criminal complaint acquired by The Daily Beast on Friday (July 1).
The complaint stated the first text came at 12:17PM on Monday when Martinez texted his alleged accomplice a photo of the semi-trucks "manifest".
Zamorano allegedly responded two minutes later, saying: "I go to the same spot".
After 30 minutes, the complaint said that Martinez replied by texting an address to Zamorano - 3108 Chacon Street in Laredo, Texas - which is an industrial area just three miles from the Mexican border. However, Zamorano didn’t respond.
This caused Martinez to become seemingly desperate as he sent his partner a chain of text messages that went unanswered.
The complaint also said that Martinez texted a shorthand version of "where you at bro?" at 1:40PM. Then, Martinez allegedly texted three more times at 3:18PM, saying: "Call me bro," "Yes," and "Call me bro".
The police officers have revealed that Martinez sent a final text at 6:17PM saying, "Wya?".
As Martinez texted the driver, authorities say Zamorano drove the truck through the Laredo checkpoint - where he was captured by security cameras - and headed for the rural end of San Antonio.
Some family members told the Associated Press that the 73 migrants who boarded the truck in or near Laredo on Monday had their phones seized.
Authorities say for unknown reasons Zamorano left the truck next to railroad tracks in San Antonio sometime around 6:00PM on Monday.
Zamorano now faces the same charge and potential sentence as Martinez for his role.
It has also been revealed that on Facebook, the two suspects are listed as friends. Martinez’s profile states that he worked at Walmart, while Zamorano’s page lists him as single and from Brownsville, Texas.
Our thoughts continue to go out to all of those affected by this tragedy.
A 13-year-old was driving the pickup truck that struck a van in West Texas in a devastating collision on Tuesday, ending the lives of nine people, NBC News reports.
The van, which had been carrying members of a New Mexico university's golf teams, was hit by a truck that had a spare wheel in lieu of its left front tire, according to National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg.
According to an initial investigation, it appears that this spare tire had failed, causing the truck to swerve in front of the van.
"A 13-year-old child was behind the wheel of the pickup truck," Landsberg said during a Thursday news conference.
"No matter how many times we go through one of these investigations, we understand the gravity and the tremendous pain that goes along with," Landsberg added, per CBS News.
It is believed that this wheel was not an emergency-use "doughnut" spare, but was similar to the remainder of the tires. The left front tire contained a steel rim that remained unscathed after the collision whereas the other three tires sustained substantial damage.
Inside the van were members of the University of the Southwest men's and women's golf teams, who were on their way to a tournament.
Six of the student-athletes tragically lost their lives in the crash, along with a coach. The 13-year-old who was behind the wheel of the pickup truck as well as passenger in the truck, 38-year-old Henrich Siemens, also died in the crash.
Despite an "extensive" fire in both the van and the truck which started following the crash, officials were able to identify the driver by the size of the remains. In Texas, students are able to start the classroom portion of drivers education when they are 14 years old, however, they have be 15 or over to qualify for a learner's permit.
On Wednesday, the Texas Department of Public Safety identified the victims who succumbed to their injuries as Tyler James, 26; Mauricio Sanchez, 19; Travis Garcia, 19; Jackson Zinn, 22; Karisa Raines, 21; Laci Stone, 18; and Tiago Sousa, 18.
Dayton Price, 19, and Hayden Underhill, 20, the two other people in the van, were in critical condition. Landsberg was not able to give an update on their condition Thursday.
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-100)