7 killed in Border Patrol car chase after vehicle crashes into trailer, Texas cops say

Seven people died early Thursday morning when a car being chased by U.S Border Patrol agents crashed into a semi-trailer, according to police and media reports.

The crash is “believed to be one of the deadliest in El Paso history,” KVIA reported.

A Chevy Cruze carrying 10 people fled from Border Patrol around 2:17 a.m. Thursday, El Paso police spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said in an interview live streamed by the El Paso Times.

The vehicle crossed the median and crashed into a business’storage trailer, Gomez said.

Seven people died in the crash, and three others were taken to a hospital, where they are listed in serious but stable condition, KVIA reported.

The car was torn in two and taken away by two tow trucks, according to the El Paso Times.

Identities of the people killed have not been disclosed. It’s unclear why the Border Patrol agents were trying to stop the car

Border Patrol said in a statement to the El Paso Times that agents “assigned to the Santa Teresa and El Paso stations attempted to stop a vehicle. The vehicle fled and was subsequently involved in a motor vehicle accident with multiple fatalities.” It said the investigation into the crash is being led by El Paso police.

In an additional statement to KTSM, Border Patrol spokesman Agent Mario Escalante said agents “attempted to stop the vehicle, and the vehicle didn’t want to stop. That’s basically it.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 4:30 PM with the headline "7 killed in Border Patrol car chase after vehicle crashes into trailer, Texas cops say."