A harrowing pursuit near the South Texas border has left a suspected human smuggler and four migrants clinging to life after a rollover crash.
The driver reportedly attempted to outrun Texas Department of Public Safety troopers by driving over 100 miles per hour. The resulting crash saw all four migrants ejected from the vehicle as it lost control and overturned on Wednesday afternoon on U.S. Highway 57 in Zavala County.
According to authorities who responded to the accident, the suspected human smuggler driving the vehicle was the only occupant wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. The unbelted migrants were thrown from the car and sustained life-threatening injuries.
All five occupants were transported by air ambulance to hospitals in the San Antonio area. The suspected smuggler is believed to be a U.S. citizen.
The incident began when Texas Highway Patrol troopers tried to stop a small red sedan leaving the border region east of Eagle Pass at approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The vehicle refused to stop, evading authorities' attempts to deploy a tire deflation device.
The driver fled at high speeds despite two tires deflating due to another attempt to deploy the device. The pursuit came to a violent end approximately nine miles east of Batesville when the vehicle overturned.
Law enforcement officers had to work quickly to free the trapped driver and attend to the four critically injured migrants scattered along the roadside. At the time of this writing, all five occupants of the vehicle were reportedly alive but in critical condition, according to law enforcement sources.
This incident is one of many that law enforcement officers in Zavala County have had to contend with in recent months. An increase in migrant smuggling cases, often involving high-speed pursuits, has resulted in more vehicle crashes, extensive physical injuries, and private property damage.
According to the department's Chief Deputy, the Zavala County Sheriff's Office deputies who patrol the area covered by Wednesday's pursuit have encountered 24 such smuggling cases during the first ten days of April.
Randy Clark, a 32-year United States Border Patrol veteran, has highlighted the need for a comprehensive strategy to combat human smuggling and its related dangers.
Clark, who served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, overseeing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector before retiring, urged officials to focus on border security and to develop practical solutions to deter human smugglers.
This is a developing story; we will update this article as new information becomes available.
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