Truck-SUV crash ends in 13 deaths, vehicle was carrying 25 passengers

Robert Besser
05 Mar 2021, 06:52 GMT+10

An overloaded SUV slammed into a semi-truck in California on Monday, killing some 13 passengers.
The crash occurred about 100 miles east of San Diego near the Mexican border.
The SUV had reportedly stopped at an intersection before moving forward and being struck by the truck at around 6:15 a.m.

HOLTVILLE, California: An overloaded SUV carrying as many as 25 passengers slammed into a semi-truck in California on Monday, killing 13 passengers.

The crash occurred about 100 miles east of San Diego near the Mexican border.

The SUV, a 1997 Ford Expedition, had reportedly stopped at an intersection before moving forward and being struck by the truck at around 6:15 a.m., according to authorities.

The Ford Expedition SUV is built to seat eight passengers.

The semi-truck was heading north on a two-lane highway, while the SUV was traveling west along a road where there's a stop sign before it reaches the highway, CHP Officer Arturo Platero said.

Authorities did not know how fast either vehicle was going at the time of the crash. The speed limit on both roads is 55 mph.

The driver of the semi truck, which was hauling two trailers of gravel, has been hospitalized with what are described as moderate injuries.

El Centro Regional Medical Center reported seven people were transported to their hospital, including one who later died.

Other injured passengers from the SUV were sent to area hospitals for treatment. Also, four passengers were flown to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

Macario Mora, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection in Yuma and El Centro, said the immigration status of those injured in the crash is unknown.

It has been learned that the Mexican consulate is assisting in identifying the dead, who range in age from 20 to 55.

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