The 13 people who died in a serious car accident in Southern California on Tuesday are believed to be part of a group of dozens of immigrants who were recently smuggled illegally to the United States.
A truck loaded with gravel collided with the victims’ SUV, in which up to 25 adults and young people were crammed. Some victims were dumped from the Ford Expedition by the blow. The car was originally built for five to eight passengers, but the smugglers removed the rear seats to make more space.
Authorities said the migrants had recently entered the country through a hole in the border fence. This pit is a commonly used road for people smugglers. Border guards are constantly patrolling the area to prevent illegal traffic on the border.
It remains unclear how the traffic accident, one of the deadliest in California history, could have occurred. The 22-year-old SUV driver might have missed a stop signal. On Wednesday, the border police announced that the car would not be chased.
Of the thirteen fatalities, at least ten were from Mexico and one from Guatemala. The process of identifying other victims is still in full swing.
In addition to the Ford Expedition, surveillance footage from the border also spotted a second SUV, the Chevrolet Suburban. It turned out that this car was crowded with at least nineteen illegal immigrants. Police were able to arrest the passengers shortly afterwards when their SUV caught fire for a hitherto inexplicable reason.
