Teen Charged With Human Smuggling After Pursuit Ends in Fatal Rollover Crash in West El Paso

A 26-year-old man from Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico, died after an Infiniti rolled over in west El Paso early Friday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The agency said the man was in the country without legal status. The driver, an 18-year-old from El Paso, has been charged with human smuggling.

DPS said a trooper tried to stop the Infiniti at about 5:20 a.m. on Friday because of an equipment violation. Officials said the driver instead sped away, traveling the wrong way. Sgt. Eliot Torres told ABC-7 the trooper had been attempting to pull the gray car over along Mesa Street, and that the driver turned off all of the vehicle's lights as the pursuit developed.

The trooper lost sight of the Infiniti and ended the pursuit, DPS said. Sgt. Torres stressed that the chase had been called off before the overturned vehicle was found. Other troopers patrolling the area later came upon the Infiniti after it had rolled over.

Investigators said the driver and a passenger were found hiding behind a business and were taken into custody. DPS identified the driver as 18-year-old Mikel Steve Fernadez of El Paso and the passenger as 18-year-old Elva Vanessa Solis, also of El Paso. Fernandez is charged with human smuggling and with evading in a motor vehicle causing bodily injury or death.

According to DPS, an unknown number of migrants were also in the Infiniti but left the scene before police arrived. The car had struck a gray Nissan Altima, and no injuries were reported from that vehicle.

The crash happened at the intersection of Mesa Street and Pitt Street, near Whole Foods. Fire officials said the call came in before 5:30 a.m. and that one person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. An ABC-7 crew also saw a damaged vehicle at Mesa Street and Resler Drive, though it was not immediately confirmed whether the two incidents were related. All eastbound lanes of Mesa were blocked for a time.

El Paso police said they were assisting troopers at the scene, while DPS leads the investigation, which was ongoing.

Sgt. Torres used the incident to urge drivers to stay alert, avoid cell phone use and rely on hands-free devices. He also reminded motorists that Texas law requires them to move over when they see emergency lights on an interstate, and to slow down by 20 mph if moving over is not possible.