Austin: At least eight people were killed and several others injured on Sunday when an SUV ran a red light and ploughed into a group waiting at a bus stop outside a migrant aid centre in the US state of Texas, police said.
Law enforcement said they were treating the incident as an accident for now, although a witness told AFP the driver had yelled insults at the group before accelerating.
The grey sport utility vehicle “went through a red light and ran over several people” at around 8:30 am (1330 GMT) in Brownsville, a border city at the southernmost tip of the state, police spokesman Martin Sandoval told AFP.
He said seven people died and “nearly 10” others were injured. US media later reported that one person had died from their injuries at a local hospital.
Witness Luis Herrera, whose arm was hurt in the incident, told AFP the crash was “sud-den.”
“A woman went by in a car and warned us to get out of the way,” he said. “It was a matter of moments. The killer came (through) in the car, gesturing at us, insulting us,” the 36-year-old Venezuelan said. Herrera then described the driver as accelerating the car with full force.
The motorist, whom Sandoval said was also taken to the hospital, was detained by witness-es until police arrived. He has been charged for now with reckless driving. –Agencies
