1 Dies, 7 Hurt as Immigrants’ Car Overturns

SAN DIEGO â€”  A stolen car loaded with up to 12 suspected illegal immigrants crashed at high speed near the Mexican border Wednesday night, killing one occupant and injuring seven others, police said.

The vehicle, which had been reported stolen from Chula Vista on May 12, rolled over several times about 9 p.m. after the driver lost control on a curve near Campo in eastern San Diego County, said CHP Officer Art Athans.

Athans said the vehicle was not pursued by authorities and it was unclear why it was traveling so fast--up to 90 mph, according to witnesses.

The driver is believed to have fled from the crash, along with two or three other people, Athans said.

Seven people suffered injuries ranging from broken bones to head trauma and were taken to various hospitals, Athans said. The identity of the deceased man had not been determined, he said.

The fatal crash is the latest in a string of serious incidents involving vehicles crammed with immigrants. In April, two separate crashes involving drivers seeking to evade Border Patrol agents killed 10 people and left 36 injured. And two illegal immigrants were beaten by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies April 1 after a televised high-speed chase that ended in South El Monte.