24 Illegal Immigrants in Bed of Truck
By Mark Nino
Story Updated: Apr 16, 2008 at 5:16 PM CDT

What could have been a simple traffic stop, ended with 22 people arrested and a family in the hospital.

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A pick-up truck carrying 24 illegal immigrants in its truck bed was getting pulled over for running a red light around 9 am, but when the truck failed to stop , a Mission police officer started a chase.

Mission Police spokesman, Martin Garza says the white GMC pick-up truck ran the red light on FM 495 and Stewart Road. The driver did not stop instead, he drove east onto a nearby canal road. He then attempted to go back on the street, but in his path was small passenger vehicle driven by a woman who had her two daughters, a 5 month-old baby and a 5 year-old in the car.

The woman was t-boned by the truck sending the family into the canal. The pursing officer and a good Samaritan immediately jumped into the canal to save them. The family was taken to McAllen Medical Center for minor injuries. Right after the collision, the 24 illegals jumped out of the truck and made a run for it.

Mission police, along with Border Patrol and ICE detained the driver and 21 illegals. Most of them were caught in an abandoned home near the canal. The driver will be arraigned sometime tomorrow and as for the illegals, they were handed over to Border Patrol to start the deportation process.

If you have any information on the two missing illegals, you are urged to call the Mission Crime Stoppers line.

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