Pursuit In East County Ends In Crash That Leaves 13 Injured

EAST COUNTY, CA — A driver is in custody Wednesday after 12 passengers in a pickup truck being pursued by Border Patrol agents were injured in "a mass casualty incident" on Interstate 8 in East County, authorities said.

At 6:12 p.m. Tuesday, Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct an enforcement stop of a black Chevrolet Silverado on I-8 when the driver sped away toward the Buckman Springs Road exit, then swerved back onto the freeway where the truck overturned in the dirt median, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The truck contained 13 occupants; 12 in the bed and the driver, according to the CHP.

"All occupants, except the driver, were unrestrained and were ejected from the Chevrolet," CHP Officer Travis Garrow said in a news release.

Cal Fire took one victim to a hospital by helicopter, while the other 12 were transported via ambulance. Authorities reported three serious injuries, while 10 were "walking wounded," according to online logs.

Gerrelaine Alcordo, the Border Patrol spokesperson in San Diego, called it a "failure-to-yield incident," adding that the agency's Office of Professional Responsibility responded to the scene as well as the CHP.

Cal Fire categorized the accident as a "mass casualty" event, requiring one medical helicopter, four ambulances and five fire engines, the Union-Tribune reported.

The driver of the pickup truck was in Border Patrol custody.

— City News Service