Posted on 07/01/2005 7:54:50 AM PDT by SmithL
EL CAJON, Calif. - Five illegal immigrants died and six more were injured when the van they were in collided with a pickup truck shortly after speeding around a Border Patrol checkpoint on a rural, two-lane road near the Mexican border, authorities said.
The accident happened just before 10 p.m. Thursday when a Chrysler minivan carrying 11 illegal Mexican immigrants swerved into the opposite lane of state Route 94 and crashed into the truck, said California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings.
The same minivan had swerved into the opposite lane several miles before to avoid a Border Patrol checkpoint near Otay Lake Road, Pennings said. The Border Patrol has a checkpoint at that location because it is near a popular illegal border crossing, he said.
The Border Patrol was not pursuing the van when the accident occurred, he said.
The driver of the truck, a 69-year-old San Diego woman, was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene; a woman and a 10-year-old girl died of their injuries at local hospitals, Pennings said.
The driver of the minivan was in police custody at the hospital where he was being treated, Pennings said. Officials do not believe that alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident, he said.
How effective can this "checkpoint" be if it's that easy to avoid...
...I guess in this case it worked though...but not in the way intended.
"The Border Patrol was not pursuing the van when the accident occurred, he said."
Well there's a lawsuit shot all to hell.
El Cajon....lived there for a few years in the early 60's. I hear it's not the greatest place to live now.
How unfortunate. Lawbreaker killed while breaking the law.
"The accident happened just before 10 p.m. Thursday when a Chrysler minivan carrying 11 illegal Mexican immigrants swerved into the opposite lane of state Route 94 and crashed into the truck..."
Come on. Play nice. The illegals were just doing the jobs that American Crash Test Dummies refuse to do! ;)
I'm glad to see the innocent victim here (the pickup truck driver) was not killed. Head on collisions are very nasty.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
4:57AM - SIGALERT CANCELED
3:05AM - S23; WHI CHRY TOWN & COUNTRY 5GQX575; GRY FORD F-350, 6U30961 BOTH FOR 22655PT5
2:41AM - PER AMR; 3 TO UCSD, 2 TO SHARP, ONE TO MERCY, ONE VIA AIR TO CHILDRENS
2:24AM - GROSSMONT/CUYAMACA COLLEGE PD, OFR BRANDON
BECKER ID 123, OFR FRANK LAVEAGA ID 302, OFR NATHAN NELSON ID 121 CALLBACK NUMBER FOR DISPATCH 619-644-7654
2:15AM - CT 6541 & CREW 1098 - RDWY OPEN
2:13AM - RDWY CLR
2:06AM - CT 6541 - ADV IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING UP 94
2:00AM - 98 FROM CHILDRENS, 97 AT SHARPS FOR ANOTHER FATALITY
1:55AM - REQ CORONER CASE NUMBER FROM 27
1:54AM - 1039 MEXICAN CONSULATE
1:46AM - ADD L LINE 83, NOTIFY MEXICAN CONSULATE REGARDING MEXICAN NATIONALS INV IN TC
1:40AM - CLOSURE POSS ANOTHER 15 MINS, CT SUPR ON SCENE ALSO ADV
11:37PM - LATE ENTRY: CT 6541 - 1097 @ 2317 HRS
11:35PM - 1039 LT MARINEZ
11:03PM - DUE TO NUMEROUS MEDIA , ADV THEM TO MEET AT THE 7/11 STEELE CANYON AT 94/ D9 - THE PAO WILL BE THERE
10:50PM - 1039 LT LEPPER, HE WILL CALL BACK IN A FEW AND ADVISE ON MAIT OR SIU CALL OUT
10:46PM - REQ FROM HLFD LOG OF MEDICS AND ENGINES THAT RESPONDED TO THIS TC WHEN NOT TOO BUSY
10:42PM - 1039 108-S10
10:42PM - DIVERTING TRAFFIC, NO ACCESS ON 94 EAST OF STEELE CANYON
10:41PM - 1039 CT 654-1, CREW ENRT
10:39PM - 1039 PAO, AT AREA NOW, CONFIRM S UNIT WANTS HIM TO RESPOND TO SCENE
10:39PM - SIGALERT ISSUED
10:35PM - AFFIRM 4 X 1144
10:33PM - AFFIRM ON LONG TERM CLOSURE
10:32PM - 1039 SPRING VALLEY W/2 TO 10323 AT LINE 15
10:30PM - PER S23/ MAKE TOWS EVIDENCE TOW AND HAVE THEM BRING VEHS TO EL CAJON AREA
10:28PM - 1039 SDSO, NO UNITS AVAIL
10:27PM - 1039 OMEGA
10:26PM - 1039 OMEGS
10:15PM - RDWY COMPLETELY BLOCKED, FD 97
9:57PM - 1039 HRTLD
9:57PM - 2 TRAPPED, ONE EJECTION, VEH IS ON FIRE
9:55PM - 1039 HEARTLAND FD
9:54PM - WHI SEDAN VS DRK SUV
9:54PM - HEAD ON TC
</sarcasm>
First, why would this happen? In 1990, a Suburban, loaded with about 15 illegals, was being chased by Border Patrol through Temecula, California. As it approached the High School, four students in a car pulled out from the High School, were broadsided, and all four were killed. Border Patrol got a lot of negative press and a huge lawsuit.
Higher ups in the Border Patrol mandated a policy that said if the pursued driver violated ANY traffic law, the Agent was to turn off the lights and siren on the patrol car, and make a u-turn.
The policy was leaked to smugglers. If a driver transporting illegals even thinks that he is about to be followed or pursued, he will speed up to 90 miles an hour, drive on the wrong side of the road, or cut off several cars.
NOTE the line in the CHP Log:
1:54AM - 1039 MEXICAN CONSULATE
1:46AM - ADD L LINE 83, NOTIFY MEXICAN CONSULATE REGARDING MEXICAN NATIONALS INV IN TC
Usually, the people from the Consulate are listening to scanners and will be there before the Highway Patrol arrives. They will tell the driver not to say anything.
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