A tragic incident occurred on Tuesday when a 28-year-old Mexican citizen was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while fleeing federal immigration authorities and other federal agents in St. Augustine, Florida.
The individual was among four people in a vehicle that was stopped in a gas station parking lot just before 6:45 a.m. All four occupants fled on foot during an encounter with agents, and one of them ran across a busy road, ultimately meeting his demise.
The Florida Highway Patrol reported that the pedestrian was struck by the tractor-trailer in the right lane and sustained fatal injuries on scene. The 64-year-old truck driver stopped immediately and attempted to render aid to the man.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the traffic fatality. This incident marks the third in about a week involving people fleeing or encountering immigration agents, with two previous incidents resulting in fatalities in Texas and Maine.
In the Texas incident, a man was shot and killed after allegedly attempting to ram agents with his vehicle. In Maine, another man was shot and killed while inside a vehicle.
Following the latest incident, the administration instructed immigration agents to temporarily halt most vehicle stops nationwide, signaling a significant policy shift.
