A collision between a semi-truck and an SUV carrying more than two dozen people near the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday morning left 15 dead and several others injured, officials said.
Twenty-seven people were in the SUV when he crashed into a trailer carrying gravel, said Judy Cruz, director of the emergency department at El Centro Regional Medical Center.
Fourteen people died at the scene. Another died at El Centro Regional Medical Center, where six others are being treated, Cruz said. At least five other people were transported from the site to other treatment centers, she said.
“Patients, of course, are going through a difficult time,” said Adolphe Edward, chief executive of El Centro Regional Medical Center. “This was a serious accident and we are attending the emergency room.”
Four people were transported by helicopter to the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where three of them are in intensive care, said the hospital’s public information officer, Todd Burke.
Firefighter Deputy Chief Sal Flores said the Imperial County Fire Department and the county’s Emergency Services Office responded to a “mass death incident” at 6:16 am.
El Centro Fire Department units are also on site, along with Customs and Border Patrol officers, who assist the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
Fifteen rescuers and five fire engines arrived at the scene off Highway 115, north of Holtville, Flores said. A helicopter whizzed overhead as he answered questions about the accident.
Highway 115 is currently blocked, going north of Holtville, he said.