Seven dead and 12 wounded in car accident outside migrant shelter in Brownsville, Texas
The driver accused of killing eight people in a crash outside a Texas migrant shelter was found to have multiple drugs in his system, police say.
Suspect George Alvarez, 34, has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after Sunday morning’s incident.
An initial toxicology report found he had multiple drugs in his system following the crash: cocaine, benzodiazepines and marijuana.
The development comes after a witness to the crash claimed the driver made anti-immigrant remarks before he was detained by members of the public.
Police say they are still investigating whether the crash was intentional as well as the driver’s alleged remarks.
Earlier police revealed that Mr Alvarez has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple assault charges.
And shocking security camera footage shared by Texas congressman Henry Cuellar showed the moment a grey Ranger Rover smashed into the crowd outside of the city’s Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center.
The Venezuelan government has called for an investigation to determine if the crash was deliberate and motivated by hate or xenophobia, after it emerged that several of the victims were from Venezuela.
