Brownsville Texas crash - live: SUV driver suspected of killing seven outside migrant shelter remains ‘uncoorperative’
An SUV slammed into a crowd of people waiting for a bus on Sunday outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, killing seven people and injuring at least 10.
Police said the driver was hospitalised and they are yet to determine his identity.
They are yet to determine if the collision was intentional and added that the accused was “very uncooperative”.
“But he will be transported to our city jail as soon as he gets released,” said Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval. “Then we’ll fingerprint him and (take a) mug shot, and then we can find his true identity.”
Most of the victims struck by the vehicle have been identified as Venezuelan men waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville after having spent the night at the shelter. Authorities claimed the border city has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the last two weeks for unclear reasons.
Shelter director Victor Maldonado said the shelter had not received any threats before the crash, but they did afterwards.
Key Points
Seven dead after being deliberately run over in front of Texas migrant shelter, say police
Injured victim describes Brownsville crash
Brownville mayor Trey Mendez posts update
12:00 , Joe Sommerlad
The city’s mayor has posted this update on Facebook, noting the increased death toll, reporting the lack of information from the driver and promising a police press conference later today.
He also thanks emergency service personnel for their response and expresses his condolences to the shelter staff reeling from the tragedy.
Recap: What we know so far
11:40 , Joe Sommerlad
If you’re just joining us, this is what we know so far about Sunday’s shocking incident near a migrant shelter in the Texas border city of Brownsville.
A grey Range Rover SUV slammed into a crowd of people waiting for a bus outside of a migrant shelter known as the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center in Brownsville at approximately 8.30am on Sunday morning.
Eight people died in the incident and another nine were hospitalised, the victims largely composed of Venezuelan men said to be returning to downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the shelter.
The driver, an unnamed Hispanic male, was reportedly detained at the scene by bystanders and is also now in hospital and has been charged with reckless driving. He has been described by police as “very uncooperative”.
They are seeking to establish whether his actions were accidental or intentional and are working to determine whether he was intoxicated by alcohol or drugs at the time.
One witness told local media: “We were going to the airport and it happened unexpectedly because a woman in a car passed by and advised us to separate and moments later the killer was coming in the car gesturing and insulting us.”
Shocking video captures moments before car rammed into migrants outside Brownsville shelter
11:15 , Joe Sommerlad
Be warned, some viewers may find this security camera footage taken at the scene distressing.
Shelter director describes horror crash
10:25 , Rachel Sharp
The director of the migrant shelter where the crash unfolded has spoken out about the horror scene.
Victor Maldonado, the director of the Ozanam Center, told CNN that there was about 20 to 25 migrants outside the centre waiting for a bus.
He said the migrants were from Venezuala and had come to the shelter about two or three days earlier.
Security footage from the shelter captured what happened next.
The SUV sped quickly along the road, crashing into the group.
Mr Maldonado said he and a staff member ran outside and came across the horrific scene with victims’ body parts strewn around.
He said that they are both still “in shock” from what they saw.
Investigation continues into Brownsville crash
10:00 , Namita Singh
An SUV slammed into a crowd of people waiting for a bus Sunday outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 10, police said as they prepared to arrest the hospitalized driver.
With no bench at the unmarked city bus stop, some of the victims were sitting on the curb around 8.30am when the driver hit them, surveillance video from the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center showed. Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval said police did not know whether the collision was intentional.
Shelter director Victor Maldonado said the SUV ran up the curb, flipped and continued moving for about 200ft. Some people walking on the sidewalk about 30ft from the main group were also hit, Mr Maldonado said. Witnesses detained the driver as he tried to run away and held him until police arrived, he said.
“This SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about 100ft away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop,” said Mr Maldonado, who reviewed the shelter’s surveillance video.
Victims struck by the vehicle were waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville after having spent the night at the overnight shelter, said Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valle.
Death toll climbs to eight from horror crash
09:40 , Rachel Sharp
The death toll from the horror crash outside a migrant shelter in Brownsville, Texas, has now climbed to eight.
Seven people were found dead at the scene and 10 others were rushed to hospitals.
Later on Sunday, an eighth victim succumbed to their injuries in hospital, officials said.
Video: Pedestrians hurt after driver ploughs into crowd near Texas migrant shelter
09:00 , Namita Singh
Here’s a local news report on this developing story.
Injured victim describes Brownsville crash
08:00 , Namita Singh
One injured victim told Valley Central that the group of men were sitting on the curb near the bus stop when a grey Range Rover slammed into them.
Luis Herrera told the news channel that he and his friends, a number of whom were killed, were waiting to go to the airport when they were struck by the vehicle.
“We were going to the airport and it happened unexpectedly because a woman in a car passed by and advised us to separate and moments later the killer was coming in the car gesturing and insulting us,” Mr Herrera said.
Most victims struck by SUV were Venezuelan, say police
07:30 , Namita Singh
Most of the victims struck by the vehicle were Venezuelan men, said shelter director Victor Maldonado. Brownsville has seen a surge of Venezuelan migrants over the last two weeks for unclear reasons, authorities claimed.
On Thursday, 4,000 of about 6,000 migrants in Border Patrol custody in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley were Venezuelan.
Police have so far not attributed the motive to the incident, adding that they are probing if it was intentional or accidental.
Death toll rises to eight
07:12 , Namita Singh
The death toll has risen to eight in the incident of an SUV slamming into a crowd of people waiting for a bus on Sunday outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas.
At least 10 others were injured, police said, as they prepared to arrest the hospitalised driver.
Police shut down road as seven killed after being run over in Texas
07:00 , Namita Singh
Driver ‘very uncooperative at the hospital’ say police
07:14 , Namita Singh
The suspect who allegedly rammed his car into a crowd at a Texas border town was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained when the car rolled over, said police, adding that he was “being very uncooperative at the hospital”.
“But he will be transported to our city jail as soon as he gets released,” said the police. “Then we’ll fingerprint him and (take a) mug shot, and then we can find his true identity.
”Police retrieved a blood sample and sent it to a Texas Department of Public Safety lab to test for intoxicants.
Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval said there are three possible explanations for the collision: “It could be intoxication; it could be an accident; or it could be intentional. In order for us to find out exactly what happened, we have to eliminate the other two.”
SUV driver hits crowd at Texas bus stop near border; 7 dead
06:30 , Namita Singh
An SUV slammed into a crowd of people waiting for a bus Sunday outside a migrant shelter in the border city of Brownsville, Texas, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 10, police said as they prepared to arrest the hospitalized driver.
With no bench at the unmarked city bus stop, some of the victims were sitting on the curb around 8.30am when the driver hit them, surveillance video from the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center showed. Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval said police did not know whether the collision was intentional.
Shelter director Victor Maldonado said the SUV ran up the curb, flipped and continued moving for about 200ft. Some people walking on the sidewalk about 30ft from the main group were also hit, Mr Maldonado said. Witnesses detained the driver as he tried to run away and held him until police arrived, he said.
“This SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about 100ft away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop,” said Mr Maldonado, who reviewed the shelter’s surveillance video.
Victims struck by the vehicle were waiting for the bus to return to downtown Brownsville after having spent the night at the overnight shelter, said Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.
Pictures from scene of crash in Brownsville
06:00 , Namita Singh
Images from scene of fatal Texas crash
05:00 , Namita Singh
Mayorkis briefed on Brownsville deaths
04:04 , Graeme Massie
Seven dead after being deliberately run over in front of Texas migrant shelter, say police
02:02 , Graeme Massie
Accident involving Range Rover took place outside city’s Ozanam Center say police.
Seven dead after being deliberately run over in front of Texas migrant shelter
7 dead, at least 6 injured after driver plows into Brownsville crowd near migrant shelter
Sunday 7 May 2023 22:53 , Graeme Massie
Officials say 7 dead at scene and 12 wounded taken to hospitals
Sunday 7 May 2023 19:18 , Graeme Massie
“7 individuals have been pronounced dead at the scene and 11 transported to local hospitals. 1 individual was airlifted to Valley Baptist Harlingen. The area is still closed to traffic,” stated Brownsville Fire Department on Facebook.
Some migrants among dead, say police
Sunday 7 May 2023 18:54 , Graeme Massie
Some migrants were killed in the incident, Lt Sandoval told Fox News.
“We are doing an investigation in forms of intoxication to see if he was intoxicated at the time of the accident,” said Lt Sandoval.
Seven dead outside migrant shelter in Brownsville, Texas
Sunday 7 May 2023 18:17 , Graeme Massie
This is a live blog covering a car accident in Brownsville, Texas, that left seven people dead outside a migrant shelter.
