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SUV rollover kills illegal immigrant
April 08, 2006
Cari Hammerstrom
The Monitor


EL SAUZ — A Chevrolet Suburban carrying 21 undocumented immigrants rolled over about two miles south of this small Starr County community early Friday morning, killing one and injuring several.

At about 2:35 a.m. Friday, the vehicle was traveling north on Farm-to-Market Road 3167 when the left rear tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the SUV, said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Johnny Hernandez. The vehicle rolled over and landed on its left side.

A 22-year-old Salvadoran woman was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. She was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Raymond de la Cruz. Her name has not been released because her family has not been contacted yet.

The other passengers in the Suburban sustained minor cuts and bruises and most were transported to Starr County Hospital, said Hernandez. A 19-year-old man was taken to McAllen Medical Center because he had a broken left foot.

The driver fled the scene of the accident, according to Hernandez; and all evidence points to this being another case of human smuggling.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to launch an investigation into the case, said spokeswoman Nina Pruneda.

ICE is coordinating with DPS to locate the injured for interviews and determine the immigrants’ nationalities.

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Cari Hammerstrom covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4424. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.