At least 13 people were killed in a serious traffic accident in southern California on Tuesday. A truck collided on a country road with an SUV in which as many as 25 adults and youth were crammed into.
The accident happened in the town of Holtville, near the US border with Mexico. The trailer, loaded with gravel, hit the SUV on the driver’s side. Images show that the Ford Expedition was badly damaged. The car was originally built for five to eight occupants.
The authorities are not yet able to say how fast both vehicles were driving. It is possible that the driver of the SUV missed a stop sign at an intersection.
The 22-year-old driver of the car is one of the fatalities. All the dead were between the ages of 20 and 55. According to a police chief, some of the occupants of the Ford Expedition were thrown out of the car by the impact.
The driver of the truck was also injured in the accident and is being treated in hospital.
The occupants may have been migrant workers from Mexico. Police are working with the Mexican consulate to identify the victims.
The American Transport Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the accident.
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