A tragic incident occurred on Sunday morning in Brownsville, Texas, when an SUV crashed into a crowd waiting at a city bus stop. Seven people died, and at least 10 were injured, some critically. The police are investigating whether the crash was intentional or accidental. The driver, who was the only person in the SUV, was arrested on a charge of reckless driving and hospitalized for injuries sustained when the vehicle rolled over. The driver seemed "very uncooperative," according to Martin Sandoval, a Brownsville police investigator. The crash happened near the Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and homeless people. The shelter’s surveillance video showed the SUV running a red light and hitting people who were waiting for the bus. The vehicle flipped after running up on the curb and continued moving for about 200 feet, hitting people on the sidewalk about 30 feet away from the main group. The male driver was being tested for drugs and alcohol, and more charges are likely to be filed against him, according to Sandoval.
Brownsville, the easternmost border crossing into Mexico, has seen an influx of migrants in recent weeks, with about 15,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, crossing the border in a single week last month, overwhelming border security. This is a surge in numbers, as in a normal week, about 2,000 migrants attempt to cross at Brownsville. The surge comes as the pandemic-era policy Title 42 is set to end on Thursday. The policy allows the U.S. Border Patrol to send asylum-seekers from certain countries back to Mexico, and its expiration is expected to further increase the flow of immigrants. The Brownsville disaster declaration was issued last month to address the situation.
The incident has shocked the community, and people are coming together to support and help the victims and their families. Raúl Brindis, a Mexican radio show host, tweeted that authorities were working to confirm how many of the victims were migrants. Luis Herrera, who was injured and had friends killed, was waiting with his friends to go to the airport when the SUV hit them. The incident is a stark reminder of the need for road safety and caution while driving.