One person is dead and 11 others hospitalized after a truck rolled over during a police chase north of La Joya, Texas, on Wednesday morning.
The Department of Public Safety, which is in charge of the investigation, believes the passengers in the truck were part of a human smuggling ring, according to KRGV News. The truck reportedly ran a red light and then attempted to evade law enforcement. All 12 people involved in the crash were ejected from the Ford Truck when it crashed and rolled over on a dirt road, according to the KRGV News.
Sergeant Maria Montalvo from the Department of Public Safety said that it’s common for smugglers to use the back roads in north La Joya to evade law enforcement. Local authorities are aware of the situation and have increased their patrols in those particular areas, according to KRGV News. (RELATED: Leslie Jordan Dies In Car Crash At Age 67)
Montalvo encourages residents to report any suspected smuggling attempts or suspicious vehicles they see in the local area.
The identity of the decased individual has not been revealed, and there is no word on the condition of the other passengers that were taken to the hospital. The story continues to develop, according to KRGV News.
This incident comes on the heels of deadly human smuggling incidents mostly involving migrants crossing the southern border. Fifty-three people died after being trapped inside a tractor trailer that was left in the Texas heat in June.