Five Undocumented Immigrants Killed in Rollover Chase Accident in Dimmit County, Texas

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2018

Dimmit County, Texas Sheriff’s Department reported five undocumented immigrants died in a rollover chase accident on Texas Highway 85 near Big Wells, Texas on Sunday, June 17, 2018, as a Chevorlet Suburban attempted to flee the United States Border Patrol and Dimmit County Sheriff’s Department Deputies at speeds up to 100 miles per hour, causing the Suburban to roll over multiple times and ejecting its passengers all over the highway and surrounding area.

Dimmit County Sheriff Marion Boyd stated the Suburban had 14 people inside it at the time of the rollover accident, including two U.S. Citizens, the driver and a passenger.  

The driver survived the rollover accident and was arrested at the scene of the accident and will be charged with federal criminal charges.

Four of the deceased undocumented immigrants died at the scene of the accident while a fifth immigrant died at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

The Chevorolet Suburban is believed to have been traveling with two other vechicles earlier in the day working a smuggling event. Those two other vehicles were stopped earlier by U.S. Border Patrol and multiple people were arrested.

The driver of the Chevrolet Suburban failed to stop when U.S. Border Patrol and Dimmit County Sheriff Deputies attempted to stop it and accelerated speed as it attempted to flee from law enforcement officers.

Dimmit County Sheriff Mario Boyd stated that the Chevorlet Suburban appears to have gone off the highway road and caught gravel and attempted to correct itself, causing it to roll over multiple times and eject its passengers.

Some of the injured were airlifted by helicopter to San Antonio, Texas medical centers while others were transported to the Dimmit County Hospital.

The case is under investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Dimmit County Sheriff’s Department.