Tragedy struck on the streets of El Paso when a vehicle, reportedly carrying six unauthorized immigrants and a U.S. citizen driver, crashed during a pursuit involving Border Patrol agents and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, resulting in two fatalities. The incident began near the University of Texas at El Paso on Oct. 12, as Border Patrol agents spotted the group entering a black Infiniti sedan, which then fled the scene and was allegedly involved in a rock-throwing incident that targeted a Border Patrol vehicle.
The pursuit of the sedan was initiated despite orders from a Watch Commander not to, but instead to collect the vehicle's license plate information; this action quickly escalated into a chase that culminated in the car striking a light pole and rolling over – landing on its roof and leaving several individuals severely injured, the crash was followed by the grim discovery of two unresponsive victims at the scene. According to a report published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, emergency medical services were called at 5:52 p.m. and the El Paso Fire Department EMS arrived nine minutes later with the El Paso Police Department taking control soon after.
The El Paso County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed the deaths of two men, one a Guatemalan national found outside the sedan and another, a Mexican national found inside, this incident has now become the subject of an investigation by the El Paso Police Department and is also under review by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General being notified.
While the process of determining the full sequence of events continues, the EPPD has taken the lead in what unfolds as a narrative threaded with desperation and the perilous journeys of those involved, details on the identities of the deceased have only begun to emerge from the wreckage as the medical examiner's office advised that autopsies will be conducted to contribute to a better understanding of exactly how these individuals met such a tragic end.
