Driver in Deadly Texas Crash Charged With Manslaughter

Police in Brownsville still investigating whether it was intentional
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted May 8, 2023 11:28 AM CDT
Driver in Deadly Texas Crash Charged With Manslaughter
A damaged vehicle sits at the site of a deadly collision near a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday, May 7, 2023.   (Brian Svendsen/NewsNation/KVEO-TV via AP)

The driver who fatally plowed into a crowd of migrants in Brownsville, Texas, on Sunday has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter. Police are still investigating whether it might have been intentional, reports NBC News. The Range Rover driven by 34-year-old George Alvarez ran a red right and crashed into a crowd of Venezuelans who were waiting for a bus outside a migrant center, say police. Eight people were killed and 10 injured, with most of the victims being Venezuelan men, per the AP. On Monday, Alvarez was charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police say Alvarez has an extensive criminal history, including earlier charges of assault and driving while intoxicated, per CNN. Bystanders pinned him down when he tried to flee the scene, say police. Surveillance video shows the vehicle speeding before hitting a curb, flipping on its side, and plowing into the victims about 8:30am Sunday, said Brownsville Police Chief Felix Sauceda. He added that investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the crash was intentional. Authorities are still waiting for a toxicology report to determine whether Alvarez was drunk. (More Brownsville-Harlingen stories.)

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