Traffic Takes Toll of Illegal Aliens : 3 Killed, 2 Hurt in Accidents Near Border in Last 2 Weeks

The body of a youth, believed to be an illegal alien and apparently killed by a hit-run driver, was found on a freeway near the border early Tuesday morning, a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman said.

It was the third highway death of a suspected illegal alien in less than two weeks in an area heavily trafficked by aliens after crossing the border.

Officers found the body of the unidentified youth, believed to be between 12 and 14, about 6:14 a.m. on Interstate 805 north of California 117.

The other victims were Francisco Gonzalez, 44, from Mexico, struck and killed by a motorcycle at I-805 and California 117 on June 28, and Eduardo Castenda Gonzales, 17, of Nayarit, Mexico, killed July 2 while trying to cross I-805 just north of Beyer Boulevard.

The injured were two illegal aliens hit by a pickup truck Monday night on Heritage Road near Otay Mesa Road, a few miles east of the sites of the fatal accidents. The truck driver, Manuel Aguilar, 37, was charged with drunk driving.

San Diego firefighters had to rescue one of the injured men from under the truck after the two were struck while walking along the road. Neither man suffered serious injuries.

In June, Border Patrol agents in San Diego arrested 36,854 illegal aliens, an 8% increase over the same month last year.

Border Patrol spokesman Gene Smithburg said there has been an increase in the number of traffic accidents involving illegal aliens in the last few months. “It’s one of the dangers aliens face when they try to cross the border,” he said.

He said I-805 near California 117 is heavily trafficked by illegal aliens who hide in canyons east of 805, then try to cross the freeway to reach Chula Vista or San Ysidro.

“It’s an area where many thousands of aliens are passing through,” he said. “It’s a very dangerous situation. If you’re driving, those people can appear from nowhere.”

Smithburg said the accidents frequently occur because people from rural areas of Mexico are not familiar with freeways and traffic moving at high speeds. “Most illegal aliens are from small towns and they’re not used to heavy traffic. They can’t judge the speed of vehicles and how long it takes to cross.”

He said Otay Mesa Road, where Monday night’s accident occurred, is not well-lighted and traffic is heavy.

“It’s very dangerous,” he said. “There are going to be more deaths.”