2 Georgians among 8 killed in crash in south Texas during suspect human smuggling chase
Two residents of Dalton, Georgia were killed during a chase involving migrants in south Texas on Nov. 8, 2023. (Lt. Chris Olivarez | Texas Department of Public Safety)
BATESVILLE, Texas - Two Georgia residents were among 8 killed in a crash after a vehicle suspected of carrying smuggled migrants attempted to flee police along a south Texas highway.
The driver of a 2009 Honda Civic hauling migrants attempted to outrun deputies from the Zavala County Sheriff's Office around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Instead of pulling over, investigators say the driver tried to pass a semi-truck on a two-lane road, colliding with a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox.
The driver and five passengers in the Civic died, DPS said. Their names have not been released.
Two people in the Equinox, who were from Georgia, were also killed. They were identified as 67-year-old Jose Lerma and 65-year-old Isabel Lerma, both of Dalton.
It is the latest deadly vehicle crash involving migrants, marking the highest death toll since 13 people died in a collision in remote Holtville, California, in March 2021.
A slew of deaths led the Border Patrol to restrict vehicle chases earlier this year.
The policy announced in January stops short of prohibiting pursuits but, according to CBP, "provides a clear framework for weighing the risks of conducting pursuits, such as the dangers they present to the public, against the law enforcement benefit or need."
Local law enforcement agencies have been involved in fatal crashes as well in recent years. In June 2022, four migrants were killed in a smuggling attempt following a police chase in the South Texas city of Encinal.
Texas DPS officers have confirmed that multiple deceased passengers are from Honduras, Texas DPS spokesman Christopher Olivarez said in a statement. Two people in the Equinox also died, he said. They were from Georgia.
Identities of those killed will be released to their families first, Olivarez said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report