California federal and state authorities are investigating an incident in which a Mexican citizen died when he was thrown from a car that crashed while being pursued by the Border Patrol, the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported Tuesday.
The incident occurred on December 25 at around 6:00 p.m. local time.
According to a CBP statement, California National Guard personnel on a surveillance platform observed a black Honda vehicle about 6.5 miles (10.4 kilometers) north of the border with Mexico near the town of Jamul.
Minutes later the vehicle returned in the opposite direction at full speed, a situation that was seen as suspicious by the soldiers, who reported it to the Border Patrol.
A Border Patrol vehicle tried to stop the car, and although the driver stopped momentarily then fled through a trailer park. Another Patrol vehicle tried to block him at the exit of the park, but the Honda hit the official car and continued his flight, followed by border agents.
Shortly after, the car went off the road and crashed, expelling three of its occupants.
The driver of the Honda, who was not ejected from the vehicle, tried to flee on foot but was stopped by border agents.
The passengers who were expelled from the car were treated by emergency personnel, who determined that one of them, a Mexican citizen, suffered a head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and is being reviewed by the CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, among other agencies.
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