An American was arrested Monday for speeding his vehicle toward the American-Mexican border in Tijuana, crashing into 17 other vehicles and killing five bystanders, police said.
The Tijuana secretary of public security said that the man, who was confirmed to be of American origin, reportedly threatened a Mexican man with a knife near the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
The suspect entered a black Chevrolet Silverado truck and began to flee toward the border when Mexican police responded to the scene. The truck had Utah license plates, according to 2KUTV.
The suspect reportedly crashed into 17 other vehicles as well as 14 food vending carts as he sped away from pursuing officers. Five people were mowed down and killed in the carnage, according to Fox News.
A witness told ABC 10 San Diego that he heard a “boom, boom, boom” as he turned to see the black truck approaching behind him. He said that when the truck finally stopped, bystanders surrounded it and proceeded to pop the vehicle’s tires so it couldn’t continue.
The witness stopped to aid a woman who was reportedly hit by a taco cart during the destruction, but he injured himself attempting to help when he slipped on salsa on the roadside.
Many scavenged food off the ground left by the impacted vending carts following the destruction, the witness described.
The driver was arrested in Mexico, according to the Tijuana Secretary of Public Security’s Facebook post. Authorities are presently investigating whether the black Chevrolet was stolen or not.
Mexican police and firefighters closed traffic on the Mexican side of the border crossing for approximately 20 minutes after the situation winded down. U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Fox News that the border was not closed on account of the incident.
By Matt M. Miller
