CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Local law enforcement in south Texas confirms at least 6 immigrants from El Salvador are dead and several more injured following an overnight crash on a country road near Corpus Christi.
Last night a police officer in Robstown was involved in a lengthy chase with a vehicle overnight through the small city and on back country roads before the pursuit was cancelled due to safety concerns amid rainy weather.
This morning the search for the vehicle resumed as authorities believed it was related to human smuggling. Several people were seen walking down a road which led officers to the scene of the crash.
Police say the vehicle crashed into a canal or drainage ditch along a agricultural field. It is not unusual for traffickers to attempt going off-road across fields in the area to avoid local police or Border Patrol before everyone inside bails out and runs in different directions.
Several people who were trapped inside the wreckage had to be rescued and were taken to area hospitals.
Robstown, Texas lies along Highway 77 which is a heavy traffic corridor from the border with Mexico. It is a very popular smuggling route for people and narcotics on the move towards larger cities in Texas.
Get continuous updates on this story from our station KRIS 6 News in Corpus Christi, Texas.
