PHOENIX — Three people are dead and several others are injured after a police pursuit ended in a crash on Interstate 10 near Eloy Thursday morning.
Authorities said a trooper attempted to stop an SUV for an unknown violation on I-10 westbound near milepost 214. The vehicle reportedly failed to yield and a pursuit ensued.
Sometime after the pursuit began, the SUV crossed a dirt median and went from the westbound lanes into the eastbound lanes and hit a tractor-trailer head-on.
Officials have since identified the driver of the SUV as 18-year-old Phoenix resident Kevin Avila, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. The crash occurred around 9 a.m. and involved two vehicles.
Avila has been booked into jail on charges of homicide and aggravated assault, DPS said.
Officials said eight people were in the SUV and three people are confirmed dead. DPS said two people died on scene and another died at a local hospital.
The deceased victims were all Mexican nationals and have been identified as:
- Alexis Miguel Fuentes De La Cruz, 22
- Omar Ortiz-Ramirez, 36
- Raúl Carranza-Alonso, 39
Several people were ejected during the crash, authorities added. Those who sustained injuries were transported to area hospitals. As of Friday, one of them remains hospitalized.
DPS said officials from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were called to assist with the investigation.
“HSI will be investigating the attempted human smuggling activity. This is an ongoing investigation, information will be limited,” the federal agency said in a statement.
This violent crash may be the latest fallout in border security and human rights facing the country.
This week Border Patrol officials say a record 221,000 migrants crossed the southern border last month and Homeland Security is estimating 170,000 migrants in Mexico are ready to cross the border once Title 42 COVID-19 restrictions end on May 23rd.
“I still don’t see any solid plan from the administration that says this is how we are going to handle the influx," said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls.
Mayor Nicholls supports the Biden administration ending Title 42 but says the administration needs to set up communities like his for success in working with migrants.
“The administration needs to come up with a policy that because small communities are dramatically impacted there shouldn’t be any releases in communities under a million people,” said Mayor Nicholls.
"Our non-profit systems handle about 300 people a day, but as soon as you start doubling and tripling that number, their resources are dramatically overwhelmed."
In a statement to 12 news, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said:
“Title 42 is a public health order, not immigration policy - which is why I support the Biden Administration’s decision to lift it and uphold our nation’s legal obligation and moral duty to provide the fundamental, human right to seek asylum.
I have been in direct contact with the Biden administration to request that the federal government allocate the resources necessary to ensure a humane, dignified process and support the local governments and community organizations that are on the ground doing this important work.”
I-10 was closed in both directions for several hours, according to the state's Department of Transportation.
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Driving Safety Tips:
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) offers driving tips to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
- Don’t speed or drive aggressively
- Never drive while under the influence of substances
- Avoid distractions while driving
- Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
- When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
- Stay extra aware in work zones
- Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said.