Another victim in the July 22 evening crash near Goliad, Texas has died.  This brings the death count to 14 in a crash that involved a Ford 250 extended cab pickup truck that was reportedly carrying 23 people.  According to the Victoria Advocate all victims appear to be from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.  It is not known if any of these individuals had entered the United States illegally, but there is strong speculation that they were in the U.S. illegally.  The U. S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security, ICE, Texas DPS and the Goliad Sheriff’s Department are all investigating the accident.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety Gerald Bryant six of the dead were riding in the cab of the truck while the eight others that died were riding in the bed of the truck and were most likely ejected.  Bryant added that most died on impact as “it was not a bloody scene.”   Cause of the accident is still under investigation but indications show the pickup truck probably lost tread on the tire and the driver most likely lost control of the vehicles and hit a patch of trees.  The speed limit on Highway 59 is 75 miles per hour but it’s not known what the estimated speed of impact was at the time of the accident, but Bryant added the pickup truck was at least traveling that fast.

Bodies of the deceased have been brought to Victoria, Texas and identification of the dead is continuing.  11 males and 3 females have been reported dead with two of the victims under the age of 18.

Should this be another incident of the smuggling of immigrants, it is the second time for the south Texas area to experience mass death since May, 2003 when 19 immigrants were found dead in a trailer abandoned near Victoria, Texas where many of the victims died because of suffocation.

(contributed photo)

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