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Van Full Of Illegal Immigrants Tries Wrong-Way Escape On California Highway, Gets 2 Killed

REUTERS/Mike Blake

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Will Racke Immigration and Foreign Policy Reporter
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Two illegal immigrants were killed on a major highway early Sunday morning following a reckless attempt to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego.

A van packed with nine migrants burst through the port of entry at San Ysidro and sped north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Border Patrol agents say the van pulled to the shoulder about a mile up the highway, where the occupants tumbled out at began to flee. As two passengers ran across the southbound lanes of the highway, they were struck and killed by a Chevrolet Trailblazer going about 65 mph in the slow lane, according to officials.

Though Border Patrol agents did not initially pursue the van, they attempted to track down the migrants after receiving notification of the illegal crossing from port of entry officials, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. By the time agents arrived on the scene, the two individuals had already been killed attempting to cross the interstate.

Agents caught and arrested the seven others thought to have been riding in the van.

The driver of the Trailblazer told investigators that she was unable to avoid hitting the two people on the highway. After the crash, she called 911 and waited at the scene for police to arrive. She was questioned by California Highway Patrol and released, according to the Union-Tribune.

San Ysidro is the largest port of entry between Tijuana and San Diego and the busiest land border crossing in the world. An average of 70,000 vehicles and 20,000 pedestrians cross from Mexico into the U.S. at San Ysidro each day, according to the General Services Administration.

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Tags : san diego
Will Racke