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11 illegal immigrants die in Texas car crash, Ron DeSantis blames Joe Biden for border crisis

'Why don’t you do your job? Why don't you get this border secure?' Guv Ron DeSantis told Joe Biden when criticized about the Covid crisis in Florida

A car crash in Texas led to the death of 11 people and injured 13 more, as a van carrying more than two dozen illegal immigrants flipped over. The incident happened on Highway 281 in Encino, Texas around 4 pm on August 4, 2021. The Ford van which toppled over had a capacity of 15 but was carrying around 30 people. According to a spokesperson from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the driver of the van was speeding on the highway which led the vehicle to miss a curve. It then hit a utility pole and struck a stop sign, eventually causing the death of 11 passengers, most of whom were undocumented immigrants. 

The incident happened barely hours after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis blamed President Biden for the border crisis. The GOP leader, who had faced criticism over record number of hospitalizations in his state, said to the President, “Why don’t you do your job? Why don't you get this border secure? And until you do that, I don’t wanna hear a blip about COVID from you, thank you.” DeSantis has earned considerable flak for refusing to re-impose the mask mandate in Florida, despite rising cases of COVID in the state. President Biden is yet to issue any statement in response to DeSantis' remark or about the major car crash in Texas. 

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Alongside Florida, Texas is also experiencing a surge in COVID cases and the two states together account for one-third of the new COVID cases in the country. Joe Biden recently called out the Republican governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abott, urging them to cooperate in handling the situation. “Please help. But if you aren’t going to help, at least get out of the way … use your power to save lives," he said in a media address. 

DeSantis' latest diatribe against the President drew negative reactions on social media, as people blamed him for the aggravating COVID crisis in Florida. "As a Floridian, I can confidently say my Governor is the worst in America," a Florida native posted on Twitter, while another sarcastically wrote, "Pay not attention to the deadly virus that I've given free reign to murderously rip through my state! LOOK AT ALL THE SCARY BROWN PEOPLE INSTEAD!" —Ron DeSantis"

The car crash happened in a small township

Meanwhile, the crash took place in Encino, which is a small township in Texas around 2 miles from the Falfurrias Border Patrol three-lane traffic check point. The community has 140 residents at best. At the site of the crash, the injured passengers were transported to trauma centers in Rio Grande Valley and Corpus Christi via helicopters. The driver of the van has not yet been identified but Brooks County Sheriff Urbino Martinez confirmed that he died on the spot. 

Texas DPS and Mexican Consulate are currently working hand in hand to identify the passengers who died or were injured in the car accident. Brooks County Sheriff's Office is also assisting Texas DPS in leading the investigation. US Customs and Border Patrol Agency were also present at the site, but did not get involved in the investigation since there is not any evidence that the car had passed through the checkpoint. To facilitate the investigation process, traffic is currently being diverted around the location of the crash.