UPDATE: An 18-year-old man is being charged with human smuggling and evading in a motor vehicle causing serious injury/ bodily harm after a crash happened in West El Paso Friday morning.
DPS says a trooper attempted to stop a blue Infiniti for an “equipment violation” on Mesa Street at around 5:20 a.m. Friday. The Infinity then “blacked out and began to drive the wrong way at a high rate of speed.” The trooper lost sight of the vehicle and initially terminated the pursuit, however, additional troopers who were responding to the vehicle found it crashed into a Nissan Altima. No injuries were reported from the Nissan Altima.
A 26-year-old man, undocumented non-citizen from Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico from the Infiniti was transported to a local hospital and later died as a result of his injuries. DPS also says that United States Border Patrol confirmed the man had crossed over into the U.S. through New Mexico illegally two days before the incident.
The 18-year-old driver who has been identified as Mikel Steve Fernandez and an 18-year-old passenger who has been identified as Elva Vanessa Solis were both found near the accident hiding behind a business, according to DPS.
Fernandez is being charged with human smuggling and evading in a motor vehicle causing serious bodily injury/death, according to DPS.
DPS says an unknown number of migrants were in the Infiniti but fled the scene before troopers arrived.
Texas DPS is still investigating the crash.
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EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Authorities have confirmed at least one person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries Friday morning after a rollover crash in west El Paso.
A Texas DPS spokesperson told KTSM that troopers were pursuing the vehicle but the pursuit was terminated prior to the accident.
The crash happened near the intersection of Mesa St. and Resler Dr. at approximately 5:30 a.m. Friday.
The incident resulted in the closure of the westbound lanes near that intersection in addition to two turning lanes at Pitt St., according to TXDOT.
DPS is expected to release a statement about the incident later this morning and KTSM will be providing updates on-air and online throughout the day.
