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Two days after eight people were killed when an SUV slammed into a crowd waiting at a Brownsville bus stop, information on the victims remains scarce, leaving relatives of missing people scrambling to locate loved ones and pleading for information.
Authorities say the driver, 34-year-old George Alvarez of Brownsville, lost control after running a red light Sunday morning but have not ruled out that he may have intentionally plowed into the stop outside the Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center, a shelter and hub for migrants who cross into the country from nearby Mexico.
Eighteen people were hit, and 10 critically injured.
Fingerprints were collected from the victims. All were male and several were from Venezuela, according to Brownsville police, but so far none of their identities have been released.
Police said Tuesday that the department has a list of over 120 names of people who want to know if their relatives are among the victims. They include dozens of photos and contact information submitted by desperate families, all fearing a phone call bearing bad news.
“I know everybody wants to know the names,” said Investigator Martin Sandoval, a department spokesperson.
One woman who has managed to locate a missing relative is Mileidy Gonzalez, 23, whose 45-year-old uncle, Juan Carlos Paredes was injured in the crash. She found out about it through news reports and a migrant who was staying at the shelter, and family members were able to identify Paredes in videos.
One of the relatives called multiple hospitals before finally finding her uncle. They were told he was in delicate condition, and they have not been able to communicate directly with him.
“His leg, back and a part of his clavicle.
