A horse trailer with at least 18 illegal immigrants in it crashed in California near the border with Mexico over the weekend.
There were 18 illegal immigrants inside the trailer and one driver, according to a preliminary count.
Six of the 19 people were rushed to hospitals in the area with serious injuries.
The crash occurred around 11:50 a.m. on Saturday morning about 15 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Some illegal immigrants inside the trailer fled after the crash, passing motorists told 911, although most were ultimately caught by Border Patrol.
No horses were inside.
Crashes around the border aren’t uncommon as vehicles loaded with illegal immigrants are sometimes spotted by the authorities and dangerously speed up in an attempt to evade them. One such accident, which left a number of illegal immigrants dead, was detailed in the book “Crossing Over” by Ruben Martinez.
A woman who was driving behind the horse trailer over the weekend told California Highway Patrol agents that the two-axle, four-horse trailer being hauled by the pickup began to fishtail; the driver was unable to maintain control and the truck drifted off the freeway; the trailer then separated from the truck and tipped onto its right side.
People attempting to cross into the United States illegally often use the area east of San Diego after a border wall was built at the city.
“Here in San Diego, we have proven that the border infrastructure system does indeed work,” Henry said. “It is highly effective.”
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