Global Courant 2023-05-08 20:51:10
The driver suspected of driving an SUV into a crowd of pedestrians waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant center in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday has been identified.
George Alvarez, 34, was behind the wheel of the Range Rover that hit 18 people outside Brownsville’s Ozanam Center, a community shelter for migrants and the homeless, Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda told reporters Monday.
Alvarez, who police said has a long criminal record, has been formally charged and charged with 8 counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was charged with reckless driving in the early stages of the investigation.
The victims were waiting at around 8:30 am on Sunday at a city bus stop next to the center when the accident took place.
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Brownsville police identified the driver who hit a crowd of people outside a migrant shelter as George Alvarez. (Brownsville Police Department)
Six people died on the spot, two others died later, police said. Nearly a dozen others were injured and rushed to area hospitals.
Officials previously confirmed that all eight people who died in the crash were migrants.
Emergency services respond to a fatal collision in Brownsville, Texas on Sunday, May 7, 2023. Several migrants were killed after being hit by a vehicle while waiting at a bus stop near Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and the homeless. (AP Photo/Michael Gonzalez)
Alvarez ran a red light and lost control of the SUV, which flipped onto its side, before crashing into the crowd of pedestrians, Sauceda said. Officials are still investigating whether the act was intentional.
Alvarez tried to flee from the scene of the accident, but several people held him down to prevent him from escaping, the chief said.
Emergency services removed a damaged vehicle after a deadly collision in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Michael Gonzalez)
Alvarez received bonds totaling $3.6 million. Officials are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether Alvarez was intoxicated, Sauceda said.
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