US: 8 killed, 11 injured as vehicle crashes into crowd in Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE: A vehicle crashed into a crowd on Sunday in Brownsville, Texas resulting in the deaths of eight people, believed to be migrants and at least 11 others sustaining injuries, US-based Fox News reported.

A report in The Hill cited police as saying that the collision did not appear to be accidental.

The incident took place after a car ploughed into a crowd at a bus stop located close to Brownsville's Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and homeless people in the community. Brownsville is one of the border cities witnessing a surge in migrants trying to cross into the US from the Mexico border.

As per information from the Brownsville Police Department, eight victims died while 11 others were transported to hospitals in the area for treatment.

The driver, who the police confirmed is a Hispanic man, has been arrested and charged, but investigations are ongoing, according to Fox News. As per officials, all eight people who died in the crash were migrants.

No additional information has been released about the driver who has been taken into custody and is at present receiving medical treatment at an area hospital and is under 24-hour supervision. The suspect is also being tested for drugs and alcohol.

Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. of Cameron County said the driver has been charged with reckless driving, the police are awaiting the results of a toxicology report.

According to Judge Trevino, it was unclear whether the driver had lost control or had intentionally run over the group.

Further investigation is ongoing. More charges are likely to be filed, Fox News reported.

When the attack occurred, the victims were waiting at a city bus stop next to the centre at roughly 8:30 am on Sunday.

The Hill stated that seven people had died at the scene and an eight person died on Sunday evening.

According to US media, witnesses near the intersection reported seeing several bodies covered in the street, as well as a group of women praying nearby.

The Hill quoted Shelter Brownsville's Ozanam Center director Victor Maldonado stating that he had reviewed the shelter's surveillance video on Sunday morning after receiving a call about the crash.

"The city bus stop is across the street from the shelter and is not marked. There was no bench, and people waiting there were sitting along the curb, Maldonado said.

He said most of the victims were Venezuelan men, " the publication cited. This comes a day after a gunman opened fire on shoppers at a mall in Allen, Texas, on Saturday killing eight people and wounding seven others. Police shot and killed the gunman, identified as Mauricio Garcia, 33, of Dallas Texas.

According to US Census Bureau, Texas has the second-largest Indian-American population in the US as of 2020. In 2010, there were 230,842 Indian Americans in Texas, making up 0.9 per cent of the population.

According to the data shared by the Open Doors, about half of the Indian students are pursuing higher education in six US states including New York, California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Arizona. Texas had 19,382 Indian students in 2021.