SAN DIEGO – Authorities took 54 suspected illegal immigrants into custody early Monday morning after the driver of a van packed with passengers drove it over a spike strip and across the U.S.-Mexico border at San Ysidro, then headed north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 805. The van, which was able to keep going after running over the spike strip because its tires were filled with silicone gel, struck a vehicle near the border crossing before its driver continued the wrong way on I-805 around 3 a.m., Border Patrol spokesman Michael Bermudez said.
After driving north in the southbound lanes for several miles, exiting and re-entering the freeway, the van's driver began driving north in the northbound lanes of I-805 at the 47th Street ramp. The van left the freeway at Imperial Avenue and was heading south on I-805 near 43rd Street when its right rear tire started to shred and the driver pulled over. After the driver stopped, the people in the van began to run away, Bermudez said. Border Patrol agents found the driver in a nearby trash bin, while the passengers were detained near the vehicle, Bermudez said. He said the driver and the passengers were believed to be citizens of Samoa Mexico. Bermudez said he did not know the make or model of the van. |