Multiple people were killed after a driver suspected of smuggling tried to evade authorities and crashed head-on into another vehicle, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wednesday.
The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 57 near Batesville, about 83 miles southwest of San Antonio.
The driver, who was in a Honda, “passed an 18-wheeler in a no-passing zone,” Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The driver crashed head-on into a Chevy SUV, causing the vehicle to burst into flames, Olivarez said. Photos released by the agency showed both vehicles completely mangled with debris scattered across the highway.
The driver and passenger of the Chevy, who were from Georgia, were killed.
“As a result, five passengers, including the suspected smuggler of the Honda, were killed,” according to Olivarez.
Several of the people killed were from Honduras.
Names are being withheld until family members can be noticed, authorities said. The crash remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
