The Brownsville police chief said it was not yet clear whether the accident was intentional. Brownsville police have identified the driver of the fatal car crash that killed eight people outside an immigration center in Texas. Chief Felix Sauceda identified the driver as follows: George Alvarez.
George Alvarez was behind the wheel of the Range Rover that struck 18 people, killing eight, outside the Brownsville Ozanam Center, a shelter for migrants and the homeless in the community, the police chief said. Brownsville, Felix Sauceda, to reporters Monday.
George Alvarez Age
George Alvarez is 34 years old.
Incident detail
The driver suspected of ramming an SUV into a crowd of pedestrians waiting at a bus stop outside an immigration center in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday has been identified.
Alvarez, who police said has a lengthy rap sheet, has been indicted and arraigned on eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was already charged with reckless driving in the early stages of the investigation.
The victims were waiting at a city bus stop next to downtown at approximately 8:30 am Sunday when the accident occurred.
Álvarez ran a red light and lost control of the truck, which flipped on its side before crashing into the crowd of pedestrians, Sauceda said. Authorities are still investigating whether the act was intentional.
Alvarez allegedly tried to flee the scene of the accident, but several people held him down to prevent him from escaping, the chief said.
Six people died at the scene and two others died later, police said. Nearly a dozen people were injured and were rushed to area hospitals.
Authorities previously confirmed that the eight people who died in the crash were immigrants from Venezuela. Sauceda told reporters that the victims were men.
Alvarez received bonuses totaling $3.6 million. Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports to determine if Álvarez was intoxicated, Sauceda said.
