Border Patrol Under Fire for Latest Crash

Temecula city officials are up in arms over a car accident earlier this week involving a Border Patrol agent chasing suspected illegal immigrants in south Riverside County--a crash that the California Highway Patrol has blamed on the Border Patrol officer.

The crash comes one month after a vehicle carrying suspected illegal immigrants was chased by Border Patrol agents through a suburban Temecula neighborhood and crashed into a third vehicle, killing six people.

“The Border Patrol is misguided and confused. They don’t have proper direction,” said Temecula Mayor Pro Tem Karel Lindemans on Thursday, two days after a Border Patrol agent collided with a pickup truck while chasing a station wagon carrying suspected illegal immigrants just north of Murrietta.

“That could have been another death or two or five. When do we stop?” Lindemans said. Only the driver of the pickup truck on Tuesday suffered injuries, and those were minor.

The accident at Corydon and Palomar streets occurred at 10:20 a.m. after Agent Mario Venegas, in a fully marked Border Patrol vehicle, began pursuing suspected illegal immigrants in a green station wagon, according to a CHP report.

Going north on Palomar Street, the station wagon crossed Corydon Street, where there is a two-way stop, the report said.

Venegas entered the intersection “directly in front of” an oncoming car driven by Todd Kimberlane, said the report written by CHP Officer Donna Maulucci.

Venegas “was found at fault for the collision for failing to proceed safely through the intersection,” the report said.

Border Patrol spokesman Steve Kean said Venegas reported that he had made a complete stop when he came to the intersection and looked both ways before proceeding.

But Moreno Valley resident Kimberlane said Venegas “blew right through the stop sign.”

“The Border Patrol just came flying out of nowhere, and I just smacked into his right front corner,” Kimberlane said.

No citations were issued, and Kimberlane, whose truck was demolished, was taken to a clinic for minor cuts.

The accident came about an hour after a separate accident that also involved Venegas and suspected illegal immigrants near Lake Elsinore, Kean said.

In that incident, agents spotted a stolen 1960 Chevy van northbound on Interstate 15 and tried to pull it over, Kean said. The van did not pull over until it reached Central Street, where it slowed to the side of the freeway and the driver jumped out, Kean said.

The van continued rolling until it crashed into an embankment on the side of the freeway, Kean said. No one was injured and 10 people suspected of being illegal immigrants were arrested, Kean said. The driver of the van escaped.