By Canadian Press

Hospital: SUV carrying 27 crashes with semitruck, killing 15

Mar 2, 2021 | 10:27 AM

EL CENTRO, Calif. — An SUV believed to be carrying 27 people crashed into a semitruck Tuesday on a Southern California highway, killing 15 people and leaving others injured, hospital officials said.

Judy Cruz, director of El Centro Regional Medical Center’s emergency department, said 14 people died at the scene, which is about 11 miles (18 kilometres) north of the U.S.-Mexico border, and another died after arriving at the hospital.

Officials believe there were 27 people in an SUV that struck a tractor-trailer full of gravel. Multiple patients were sent to hospitals for their injuries, including four flown to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, spokesman Todd Burke said. Three were in intensive care, he said.

“The patients are, of course, going through a little bit of a difficult time, as you can imagine,” said Dr. Adolphe Edward, the El Centro hospital’s chief executive officer.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash in the agricultural southeastern corner of California on a highway running through fields in the Holtville area, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) east of San Diego.

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Officials from the Holtville and Imperial County fire departments, as well as the California Highway Patrol spokesperson for the area, could not immediately be reached.

The Associated Press