13 Dead In California Vehicle Crash

More than a dozen people have died after a vehicle crash in California near the Mexican border on Tuesday.

A big rig collided with a Ford SUV around 6:15 a.m. on state Route 115 in Imperial County, state Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Jake Sanchez told HuffPost. Twelve people died at the scene, and another person died at El Centro Regional Medical Center, Sanchez said. Multiple others injured in the crash were transported to hospitals in the area.

“The patients are, of course, going through a little bit of a difficult time, as you can imagine,” Dr. Adolphe Edward, the CEO of El Centro, said at a briefing. “This was a major accident, and we are taking care of them in the emergency room department.”

In total, 25 passengers were riding in the SUV that collided with the truck, including some children, a hospital spokesperson said at a later press conference. Seven patients were taken to El Centro, including the one who died upon arrival. Three patients were taken to Pioneers Memorial Hospital, and four were flown to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. 

The driver of the big rig suffered “moderate injuries” and was taken to the hospital, Sanchez told HuffPost. The driver of the SUV died.

El Centro said all of the remaining patients it has are in stable condition. Their injuries include fractures, head injuries and chest injuries. 

UPDATE: A previous version of this story misstated the number of dead based off a statement released by the El Centro Regional Medical Center. This story has been updated with the accurate number given by the California Highway Patrol.