Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Arizona crash kills 8 illegal immigrants

Associated Press

SONOITA, Ariz. – Eight illegal immigrants “stacked like wood” in the back of a sport utility vehicle crammed with at least 27 people were killed when the driver lost control and rolled over on a remote southern Arizona highway, authorities said Sunday.

The Ford Excursion had no rear seat and most of the men and women were ejected when the SUV crashed just before midnight Saturday near Sonoita, about 40 miles southeast of Tucson. All the victims are believed to be illegal immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and perhaps Mexico.

Arizona Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Joy Craig told the Associated Press that the remote area where the crash happened is a route commonly used by those smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S.

“We see the people stacked like wood frequently,” she said.

The identity of the driver, passengers and the vehicle’s owner are being withheld pending their identification and notification of relatives. Many victims did not have ID, Craig said.

If the driver survives, Craig said he would likely be charged.