Police: 8 killed, multiple injured after driver crashes into bus stop near Texas migrant shelter

Authorities are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether the driver was intoxicated

Brownsville Fire Department responds to crash near the Ozanam Center by Minnesota Rd. and North Bernal Dr. in Brownsville, Texas. (Brownsville Fire Department)

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Eight people are dead and multiple are injured after a driver ran a red light and struck a group of people at a bus stop in Brownsville, according to officials.

The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. in front of the Ozanam Center, a homeless shelter for migrants, near Minnesota Avenue and North Bernal Drive in Brownsville, just miles from the Texas border.

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The center is the only overnight shelter in the city of Brownsville and manages the release of thousands of migrants from federal custody, according to the Associated Press.

Street view of the Ozanam Center in Brownsville Texas via Google Maps (Google Maps)

Brownsville Police Department spokesperson Martin Sandoval told KSAT a driver in a gray Land Rover ran a red light at the intersection and struck a crowd of 18 people.

A damaged vehicle sits at the site of a deadly collision near a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, May 7, 2023. (Brian Svendsen/NewsNation/KVEO-TV via AP) (Associated Press)

The shelter’s director, Victor Maldonado of the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, reviewed surveillance footage that captured the crash. He detailed the video to the Associated Press.

“What we see in the video is that this SUV, a Range Rover, just ran the light that was about a hundred feet away and just went through the people who were sitting there in the bus stop,” Maldonado said.

Maldonado said the SUV flipped after running up on the curb and continued moving for about 200 feet. Some people who were on the sidewalk about 30 feet away from the main group were also hit, reported the Associated Press.

He also noted that the bus stop was unmarked and most people were waiting on the curb, most of which were Venezuelan men.

According to Valley Central, police said, “It is looking more and more like an intentional act.”

Eight people have since been confirmed dead and 10 others are hospitalized with injuries, according to officials.

The driver, George Alvarez, was detained and received medical attention. The 34-year-old is currently being held at the Brownsville city jail.

Police Chief Felix Sauceda said Alvarez was charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the associated press.

Additionally, officials are awaiting the results of a toxicology report.

Poster boards regarding George Alvarez stand during a news conference on Monday, May 8, 2023, in Brownsville, Texas. The driver of an SUV that crashed into a crowd of people at a bus stop in Brownsville, killing eight, has been charged with manslaughter, police said Monday. Authorities believe Alvarez lost control after running a red light Sunday morning and plowed into a crowd outside a migrant center. (AP Photo/Valerie Gonzalez) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

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About the Authors:

Victoria Lopez is a Digital Journalist at KSAT. Before joining the team in July 2022, she worked as a Digital Reporter at CBS 4 Rio Grande Valley and Local 23 News. Victoria graduated with a degree in Mass Communications — Public Relations from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.