TRAIN CRASHED INTO UNMARKED SUV
Agents who died were chasing suspected illegal immigrants
5-12-11
GILA BEND, AZ (KOLD) – The two agents who were found dead Thursday morning after a train had slammed into them were helping other agents in pursuit of suspected illegal immigrants, a Maricopa County detective said.
In a press conference held at a media staging area near the crash, detective Aaron Douglas said he would not confirm or deny if the agents were alive or dead at the time of the crash.
He also would not comment on what, if anything, was found in the surrounding area, citing the ongoing investigation — which is being conducted by several agencies. The lead agency, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, will coordinate now with the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Douglas did say during the conference that the agents were not airlifted after being found and were pronounced dead at the scene.
An official with the border patrol went into more detail about the facts leading up to the crash.
The two agents who died were helping other agents on the ground who were pursuing “illegal aliens,” spokesman Kenneth Quillin said. They were assigned to the Yuma sector.
Driving in an unmarked, black SUV, the two agents were positioning themselves north of where the pursuit was taking place, Quillin said.
The practice of driving in such a vehicle is one agents engage in “from time to time,” he added. The agents crossed the tracks in a marked and legal crossing.
Both the engineer and conductor of the train have been interviewed by investigators.
“This is a huge loss for the border patrol family,” Quillin said.
Additional press conferences are scheduled later Thursday. Stay with KOLD News 13 on all three of your screens for the latest.
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