Three Die in Crash After Man Fleeing Border Patrol Runs Red Light

Three people died in a four-vehicle crash late Saturday night on State Highway 4 and N. Indiana Avenue after a San Benito man fleeing Border Patrol during a human smuggling attempt ran a red light, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

The Texas Department of Public Safety stated that the United States Border Patrol attempted to stop a red BMW 328i for human smuggling as it traveled westbound on State Highway 4 near FM 1419. The driver of the BMW, 34-year-old Juan Munoz of San Benito, was allegedly smuggling two Mexican nationals, a Honduran man, and two Costa Ricans when agents tried to pull him over.

Munoz ran a red light at the intersection of State Highway 4 and N. Indiana Avenue and crashed into a green Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a woman carrying a boy as a passenger. The Hyundai rolled multiple times before coming to a stop in the westbound lanes of State Highway 4, according to DPS.

The BMW spun and veered into the eastbound lanes, striking a silver GMC Sierra driven by a man. The vehicle continued spinning and hit an Acura MDX SUV driven by a woman traveling with a boy.

Munoz was transported to Valley Regional Medical Center, where he died. The front right passenger and a rear passenger in the BMW succumbed to their injuries at the scene, DPS stated in a release.

Three other passengers from the BMW were taken to a local hospital, where one remains in stable condition and two are in critical condition. The driver and passenger of the Hyundai, along with the driver of the GMC, were taken to a local hospital for minor injuries. The driver of the Acura refused medical attention.

DPS continues to investigate the crash and will identify the remaining victims once their families are notified of their deaths.