Fifteen suspected illegal Mexican immigrants died in a horrific crash just north of the border in California when their SUV packed with 28 people collided with a big rig hauling gravel, officials said.
The collision happened just after 6:15 a.m. local time off Highway 115 in Imperial County where a red Ford Expedition, carrying 28 people, was t-boned by on the driver’s side big rig, police and hospital officials said.
California Highway Patrol Chief Omar Watson said it was unknown if the SUV had stopped at the stop sign — but it was clear that the overpacked vehicle caused “numerous” passengers to be ejected after the collision.
“Obviously that vehicle was not meant for that many people,” Watson said in a press conference. “It’s unfortunate that that number of people were put into that vehicle because there’s not enough safety restraints to safely keep those people within the vehicle.”
The passengers in the SUV, some of whom “were able to pull themselves out of the vehicle,” ranged in ages from 16 to 55, Watson said.
It was unclear how the vehicle, which seats up to eight people, fit that many passengers. Watson said he did not believe seats had been removed.
Fourteen people — the youngest said to be 20-years-old and the oldest 55-years-old — were pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.
“It’s a very sad situation,” Watson said during a press conference Tuesday morning.
More than a dozen others were injured in the crash about 10 miles north of the border, officials said.
Seven passengers were rushed to El Centro Regional Medical Center but one could not be saved, according to Judy Cruz, the hospitals emergency room managing director.
Four people were airlifted from the scene to Desert Regional Medical Center and three were transferred to Pioneers hospital, Cruz said.
Those injured were treated for fractures, chest injuries and life-threatening head wounds, hospital officials said.
The driver of the truck was one of the injured and was being treated at a local hospital, authorities said.
Cops put the number of dead at 13 and counted 25 passengers in the SUV but hospital officials released the updated figures moments before the police press conference.
Law enforcement and hospital officials said they were in contact with the Mexican Consulate in Calexico to help identify who was in the vehicle and track down the families of those killed.
Dr. Adolphe Edward, the chief executive of the El Centro hospital, said he believed the passengers were “undocumented migrants,” according to the New York Times.
Edward later referred reporters to law enforcement officials, who did not provide their country of origin.
US Border Patrol was assisting in translating, Watson said.
“We’re not sure exactly what caused the collision but there was no law enforcement involved,” Watson said, explain that it was not connected to any type of Border Patrol pursuit.