Tragedy in Brownsville: Seven Killed And 12 Injured As SUV Plows Into Bus Stop Near Migrant Shelter
A horrific car crash in Brownsville, Texas, has left
seven people dead and 12 others injured after an SUV struck a group of people
waiting for a bus near a migrant shelter on Sunday morning.
The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. local time
(14:30 GMT) at the intersection of International Boulevard and Levee Street,
close to the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, a shelter that provides
temporary housing and services for homeless and migrant people.
According to eyewitnesses and surveillance footage, the
SUV ran a red light and sped towards the bus stop, hitting the curb and flying
about 200 feet (60 meters) before crashing into the crowd. Most of the victims
were Venezuelan men who had been staying at the shelter and were planning to
travel to other parts of the U.S., where they had tickets and relatives waiting
for them.
The driver of the SUV, who has not been publicly
identified yet, was arrested at the scene and taken to a hospital for
treatment. He is facing multiple charges, including seven counts of murder and
12 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He has also been ordered
to undergo drug and alcohol tests.
Brownsville police said they are still investigating
whether the crash was intentional or accidental, and whether the driver was
under the influence of any substances. They are also looking into reports that
the driver shouted anti-migrant remarks before and after the crash. He spoke to
police officers in both English and Spanish, gave various names and refused to
submit to a breathalyzer test, according to a police spokesman.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said in a Facebook post
that the driver has “thus far been uncooperative” with investigators and that
he is “deeply saddened” by the tragedy. He also praised the first responders and
the staff of the Ozanam Center for their efforts to help the victims and their
families.
The director of the Ozanam Center, Victor Maldonado,
told BBC News that he and his staff were “trying to hold it together” after
witnessing the carnage. He said that some of the victims had been staying at
the center for months, waiting for their immigration cases to be processed. He
also said that he had not experienced any hostility towards migrants in the
city, but that some people had come to the gate since the incident and told the
security guard that it happened “because of us”.
The incident has shocked and saddened the community
of Brownsville, a city of about 180,000 people located on the southern tip of
Texas, across the border from Matamoros, Mexico. The city has recently seen a
sharp increase in illegal migrant arrivals, according to U.S. border protection
officials.
A vigil for the victims was held on Sunday night at a
nearby park, where hundreds of people gathered to light candles, pray and sing.
Some of the survivors and relatives of the deceased also attended, holding
pictures of their loved ones.
A news conference with local authorities is scheduled
for Monday morning at 11:30 EST (15:30 GMT) to provide more details about the
investigation and the status of the injured.
Please Click On The Links Below For Video Of The Incident:
Video: Deadly Texas car crash captured by surveillance video | CNN: Video:Deadly Texas car crash captured by surveillance video | CNN
