3 dead, 8 injured after U.S. Border Patrol pursuit near Tucson ends in fiery crash

18-year-old accused of leading border agents on deadly chase near Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A U.S. Border Patrol pursuit near Tucson that resulted in a fiery crash that left three people dead is being investigated by federal and state authorities.

Customs and Border Protection officials said a Jeep with 11 people inside failed to stop for a primary inspection near Three Points on Aug. 7.

According to court documents, 18-year-old Jacob Jordan was transporting 10 migrants in his car when Border Patrol agents started pursuing him.

Border patrol agents searched for the vehicle that was spotted by a helicopter and a chase began with the Jeep being driven erratically on a freeway.

Agents tried to stop the vehicle by deploying an immobilization device near Picacho Peak on Interstate 10 some 39 miles northwest of Tucson.

Border Patrol officials said the driver of the Jeep lost control of the vehicle and it crossed the median, struck a tractor-trailer and caught fire.

Authorities said two people in the Jeep were declared dead at the scene and a third person died at a Tucson-area hospital.

The names, ages and nationalities of the three dead haven’t been released.

Jordan faces a long list of charges, including human smuggling.

The incident is being investigated by Homeland Security, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and reviewed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility.