A pickup truck crammed with 23 people slammed into trees near Goliad, Texas, killing 14 of them on Sunday, July 22. The other nine were taken to the hospital. The driver was among the people killed. Eleven, including two girls, were killed at the scene, and three more died in the hospital. According to police and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the loaded truck was allegedly filled with illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.

Although it is early in the investigation, authorities believe tire failure may be the cause of the pickup accident.

US Highway 59 where the accident occurred stretches from Mexico to Houston. It is allegedly a corridor for illegal immigrants, as well as drugs. Smugglers pack their vehicles with as many people as they can since each immigrant pays thousands of dollars to be brought into the country.

Because these vehicles are filled with so many people sitting and lying in unsafe conditions, when an accident occurs, many of them are killed. Several motor vehicle accidents this year have killed many immigrants. In one case, the driver of an SUV that crashed fleeing the Border Patrol in Arizona was charged with murder. Ten people died in that accident. Nine others were killed in a South Texas accident in April when a van overturned.

If you have been involved in an auto accident anywhere in the country due to another party's negligence, please contact the Accident Lawyers Network to find an experienced accident attorney in your area today.