A fatal crash that occurred on May 4, 2023, on US Highway 57 in Zavala County is currently being investigated by the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The accident took place 3 miles West of Batesville, TX, and resulted in the death of two unidentified male subjects, believed to be undocumented non-citizens.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of a black SUV was involved in human smuggling and was evading law enforcement on US 57 when the SUV collided with a semi-truck tanker that was hauling fuel. The driver of the black SUV and the semi-truck driver were both transported to a trauma hospital in San Antonio for medical attention. Additionally, one of the responding deputies was injured while extracting the driver from the black SUV as it caught on fire.

The two deceased individuals were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and later transported to the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office by Castle Ridge Mortuary. The Zavala County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety are working together to investigate the collision, while Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will be investigating the failed human smuggling event.

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this tragic incident. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all the agencies that assisted in responding to the accident. It is essential to work together and support one another in times of crisis.

The investigation into this incident will provide more information as to what led to this tragic event. In the meantime, it is important to remember that human smuggling is a dangerous and illegal activity that puts many individuals at risk. We encourage anyone with information about such activities to come forward and report them to the authorities. It is through our collective efforts that we can prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.