7 killed and 11 injured as SUV driver hurls insults and plows into crowd outside Texas migrant and homeless shelter
BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS: An SUV driver was arrested as seven people were killed and at least 11 were left injured after a car struck a group outside a migrant and homeless shelter in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Footage of the crash circulating online showed the vehicle plowing into a group of about 25 men sitting at a bus stop and hitting them one after another. Other videos on social media showed multiple wounded people lying on the ground covered in blood, with emergency services rushing to their help.
One clip also showed officers arresting a shirtless man outside the migrant shelter. “What we see in the video is that this SUV just ran the red light and was about 100 feet away and just went through the people who were sitting in the bus stop,” Ozanam Center shelter director Victor Maldonado told the Associated Press. The SUV reportedly toppled after running over the crowd and moved forward about 200 feet, striking other people walking on the sidewalk about 30 feet away from where the group was seated, as per the Daily Mail.
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The driver was ‘extremely uncooperative’
Officials believe that the driver, who is yet to be named, is a Hispanic male from Brownsville, the publication noted. They also said that he was “extremely uncooperative” and gave authorities a set of different names during the investigation. Police initially thought that the driver “intentionally” crashed into the pedestrians waiting at the bus stop outside the Ozanam Center but later said they are still investigating the incident.
Witnesses reportedly claimed that the driver was hurling insults at the group before plowing into them, the outlet reported. He then attempted to flee the scene but was stopped by some locals. Eyewitnesses also said that they believed the man was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He is currently undergoing testing to check if he was under the influence of alcohol when he plowed into the group. No motive behind the crash has been established so far.
The unnamed driver was arrested at the scene of the crime and charged with reckless driving. However, more charges are likely to follow amid the involvement of the FBI and Border Patrol agents in the investigative process. The suspect is currently in hospital and undergoing treatment for his injuries while being under police surveillance. No further information about him has been made available at the time of writing.
Who were the victims of the Brownsville crash?
At least 11 people injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals, as per the Brownsville Fire Department’s announcement on Facebook. One injured victim was also airlifted to Valley Baptist Medical Center in nearby Harlingen. Maldonado said that most of the men struck in the crash were reportedly Venezuelan. However, it is unclear how many victims were migrants.
One of the victims of the crash was identified as Luis Herrera. He said he was waiting to go to the airport with his friends when they were struck near the bus stop. “A woman went by in a car and warned us to get away,” he told AFP while describing the crash as “sudden.” “It was a matter of moments. The killer came [through] in the car, gesturing at us, insulting us,” the 36-year-old alleged.
He also told NBC4 that several of his friends were killed in the crash and he suffered injuries on the right side of his body. The conditions of other victims are unknown at the time of writing.
‘When will this stop?’
Social media users were quick to respond to the incident and took to Facebook to share their reactions. “Texas is in flames, and nothing will be done about it,” one said. “When will this stop?” another asked. “Lord help us,” a third user commented.
One wrote, “Texas really is the worst US State. Others have sincerely tried, but none can match,” while another said, “I think I need to move to a different state.” “God rest them in peace,” another user added, while remembering the victims who lost their lives in the crash.
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