A van reportedly packed with more than a dozen migrants crashed on a highway in Texas, killing at least 11 individuals and injuring 13 others.

According to Daily Mail, the incident happened at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4, on Highway 281 located in Encino, Texas.

Sergeant Nathan Brandley of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said most of the passengers were undocumented immigrants. Texas authorities noted that they were working with the Mexican consulate to confirm the identities of the passengers.

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The vehicle, a Ford van, was reportedly speeding when it crashed despite not being chased by authorities. The DPS noted that around 30 people were inside the 15 passenger van. 

Authorities believed that the driver, which was not identified, traveled at high speed that caused the vehicle to miss a curve, crashed on a utility pole, and struck a stop sign.

Helicopters responded and transported the injured victims to trauma centers in Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. The driver of the van died at the scene.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency was also on the scene. However, the agency was not involved in the investigation led by DPS as they have not found evidence that the van had gone through the checkpoint. 

Other Crash Involving Undocumented Migrants

It was not the first time that a vehicle crash killed some undocumented migrants. In March, eight migrants died after a pickup crashed into a truck as they were chased by a trooper of Texas DPS trying to stop them from speeding. 

The eight migrants who died were Mexican nationals between the ages of 18 and 20. A Texas man identified as Sebastian Tovar, who was driving the pickup loaded with migrants, was charged with "transporting illegal aliens resulting in death." 

In a separate collision in California last March, at least 13 people died in a crash near the U.S.-Mexico border. Twelve individuals died on the scene, while another person died at a local hospital. 

Texas New Migrant Order

The governor of Texas recently issued an order that would allow state troopers to stop vehicles, which are not from the federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies, carrying migrants.

The latest order from Governor Greg Abbott would also permit DPS to reroute the said vehicle back to its point of origin. The mandate drew criticisms from several migrant unions and Attorney General Merrick Garland from the Justice Department. 

Garland has urged Abbott to lift his order, calling it both "dangerous and unlawful."

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This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Joshua Summers

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