PHOENIX (AP) — Eight people, including four immigrants in the U.S. illegally, were killed in a head-on crash on an Arizona highway, authorities said Thursday.
The crash occurred late Wednesday in a rural part of the state more than 120 miles (193 kilometers) north of the Mexico border.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety declined to say whether an SUV involved in the collision was being used as part of a smuggling operation or may have been connected to a government immigration facility in nearby Florence.
However, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said the immigrants killed were not detainees.
Officials say the SUV’s driver and front-seat passenger were U.S. citizens, but seven others in the vehicle were immigrants in the country illegally.
The driver, front-seat passenger and four immigrants in the SUV were killed. Three other immigrants were taken to hospitals.
The driver and front-seat passenger in the other vehicle also were killed.
Investigators don’t know the cause of the crash on State Route 79.
Arizona has been the scene of a number of fatal crashes involving immigrants who were being smuggled, including one near the border nearly a decade ago in which 10 people died after an SUV rolled over on a highway.
Some crashes occurred on remote routes being used by smugglers after the government ramped up personnel and surveillance technology at the border.
Smugglers sometimes lost control of vehicles while fleeing Border Patrol agents.
In Texas, five people were killed in June when an SUV carrying a dozen immigrants flipped while fleeing agents.
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This story has been corrected to show that eight people died in the crash, including four immigrants in the country illegally.
Florence?!? Again?
I’ve driven that road a few times, hard to imagine a head on collision that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol, it’s relatively straight and flat.
Hey AP how late is late?
I know that road very well. It used to be the way to Phoenix from Tucson before Interstate I-10 existed. My estimation is the accident happened near the Tom Mix Memorial pull out. If the accident happened at night?.. Who knows? The article is pretty vague on detail.
edit
Here’s a somewhat better explanation as to how the accident happened:
A southbound vehicle crossed the center line and hit the van. At about 10 PM.
I suppose now trump will tweet blame on “criminal M-13 aliens” for this accident. And then we will be treated to his suffering for his golf course in N. Carolina that avoided damage from the hurricane.