A man who admitted being in the country illegally was drunk when he crashed into a family of four, and ICE has been unable to determine his status as a court supervisor denied agents access to the individual.
Jose Acevedo, 43, slammed into the back of the Gould family car in Massachusetts when he was under the influence and admitted to entering into the country illegally, Auburn Police told MassLive.com.
A spokesman for ICE told the local news agency in a statement on Monday they tried to interview Acevedo on June 9, but were denied access.
“ICE officers were unable to gain access to the individual because a court supervisor would not allow ICE officers to speak to Mr. Acevedo until the local court appointed an attorney to him in his state criminal proceedings,” Shawn Neudauer, the ICE spokesman’s statement said.
“While Mr. Acevedo has allegedly admitted to local law enforcement that he is in the U.S. unlawfully, ICE cannot verify the accuracy of his alleged statements until our officers interview him and compare his biographical data against federal immigration records,” Neudauer said.
Acevedo slammed into the back of the family’s car and registered a .26 on a breathalyzer test after the crash. He had been arrested for driving without a license earlier that day.
“He hit me so hard my earring flew out of my ear, my pierced ears,” Carly Gould told MassLive. Her T1 vertebra was fractured, her husband had whiplash. Their 3-year-old and 7-year-old daughters were treated and released from the hospital after the crash last Thursday.
The family isn’t focused on his immigration status, but rather that he should not drive again.
“It’s obviously a factor now, but that’s not our concern,” Gould said. “Our concern is he has chosen not to follow the laws. He has shown it multiple times.”