Posted on 06/15/2007 10:58:10 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
NEW BRAUNFELS — A pickup packed with undocumented immigrants crashed on Interstate 10 during a police chase Thursday afternoon, sending several people to area hospitals, officials said.
The chase started when a Department of Public Safety trooper saw a Ford F-150 extended-cab truck cut in front of an 18-wheeler, both of which were heading east between Seguin and Luling, about 1:30 p.m.
The trooper tried to pull the pickup's driver over, but he fled at speeds that topped 90 mph, said DPS Sgt. Jeff Lyde.
Three Guadalupe County Sheriff's Department vehicles joined the chase, which lasted about 10 minutes and covered nine miles until the pickup driver made a U-turn across the highway median and started heading west.
After two more miles, the driver went off the right side of the highway, up an embankment toward a line of trees.
"But there was a big fence up there, so he headed back toward the highway and hit a big tree," Lyde said. "It was big tree. I don't think he even shook the dust off it and he hit it right in the grille."
There were 16 people, ranging in age from early 20s to late 30s, in the pickup. Only the driver, a Pasadenaman, was in the country legally, Lyde said. Some of the passengers were in the cab and the rest were under a tarp in the bed of the truck.
Lyde said seven were hospitalized, including the driver and three other people who were flown to University Hospital in San Antonio. Lyde said the most seriously injured appeared to be a man with a broken arm and a woman who possibly had broken a hip.
"If it had been a normally occupied truck by people in seat belts, they would probably all have walked away," he said.
Two people fled into the woods after the wreck. Officers did not initially give chase because they were caring for the injured. A brief search did not turn up that pair.
Two others walked out of Guadalupe County Regional Medical Center in Seguin after being treated for minor injuries. The four missing people have not been found, Lyde said.
The San Antonio office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent agents to the wreck scene and took custody of two who were not hospitalized. The agency will detain the others as they are discharged, said Nina Pruneda, spokeswoman for ICE in San Antonio.
She said there was no information yet on the driver, who is typically charged as a smuggler when caught carrying undocumented immigrants. The names of the others were not available, but Pruneda said the migrants apparently hailed from Mexico and Guatemala.
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rcroteau@express-news.net
Staff Writer Hernan Rozemberg contributed to this report.
Hail to the Chief we have chosen for the nation, Hail to the Chief! We salute him, one and all. Hail to the Chief, as we pledge cooperation In proud fulfillment of a great, noble call.
Yours is the aim to make this grand country grander, This you will do, that's our strong, firm belief. Hail to the one we selected as commander, Hail to the President! Hail to the Chief!
Johnny Sutton probably will charge these cops with violating the rights of these illegals....just watch
Let me be the first to say, BUSH’s fault........and it is.
Check out the Malden Observer “Seeing the Third Rail” at Maldenobserver.com.
They were only riding in trucks American’s won’t ride in.... see what the police did!! /scarc
ping
Reminds me of the story of Rojo Rodriguez...
Just say NO to Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
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see what a fence can do?...build the freaking,fricking,fracking fence !
Bravo!....post of the day!
Ouch. Wonder if we’ll see the dash-camera footage of that wreck on Court TV’s “Most Shocking: Wetbacks III” in a couple years. Bet there were “migrants” flying everywhere when he hit that tree.
Deport ‘em, after stripping all assets we can get a hold of to pay for their hospital stays.
}:-)4
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
bump
“...But there was a big fence up there, so he headed back ....”
see what a fence can do?...build the freaking,fricking,fracking fence !
“Bravo!....post of the day!”
I’ll second that!
Just think at what will happen once mexican semi’s start rolling across the border in large numbers.
7 hospitalized?
This will only cost the tax payers of Texas about 10 million dollars.
Then the law suits will come costing them millions more, as our hospitals become even more jammed with criminals.
Instead of these doctors treating Americans, they are not treating more illegal aliens.
“undocumented immigrants”
Undocumented tends to suggest that these people could be legal if they just filled out the right forms. Nice honest lawabiding folks who have the same rights to the US as us but lack a couple pieces of paper.
I say call a spade a spade. These people are criminal aliens.
Jorge will have breakfast with them next week, and will say welcome to your America.
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