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GOLIAD, Texas - "I've seen a lot of accidents, about 5 or 6 were I've been like one of the first ones there. Kind of takes a toll after awhile."

Like he does every time he comes and goes to… Click to Read More and see additional updates

GOLIAD, Texas - "I've seen a lot of accidents, about 5 or 6 were I've been like one of the first ones there. Kind of takes a toll after awhile."

Like he does every time he comes and goes to work, Darryl Nedeau was driving along Highway 59 near Goliad. But around 6:30 on the evening of Sunday, July 22nd, he came upon an accident scene.

He pulled over and went to see if anybody needed help. He had no idea how much his help would be needed. Bodies were scattered across the road, some as far away as 100 yards according to Nedeau.

"We were trying to get them as fast as we could. And being that there were so many, time was not on our side," he told us today as he revisited the crash site.

A truck carrying 23 illegal immigrants had a tire blow out, sending it crashing into a tree, and throwing its passengers anywhere and everywhere.

Nedeau says other good samaritans had stopped to help as well. He recalls what he did, "I would go up to them and hold their hands just for a minute. Try to talk to them."

One image, of a woman he helped pull from the wreckage, remains clear to this day. "She was unconscious. Had no expression on her face. But I held her hand talking to her as long as I could."
"Telling her we were going to get her out. And she was going to make it. And just to stay with us," Nedeau told us.

That woman was one of the 15 who didn't survive.

There is an ever-growing memorial at the crash site, momentos from sympathizers. A card read, "May the depth of your faith and the love of those who share your loss, comfort you at this time of sadness. With sympathy and prayers. You will be dearly missed."

Words that can easily apply to Nedeau as well since his late wife was killed in another accident on this same road 6 years ago. "If anybody's lost a family member in an accident they have the same feelings I'm sure. It's hard to come out here," Nedeau shared.

Nedeau's a former United States Marine and works at the nearby prison. He was recently recognized by the Goliad County Sheriff's Department for rendering aide to his fellow man.

GOLIAD - A pickup truck's front tire that apparently had come apart was likely the cause of a crash on a rural South Texas highway that killed 15 people believed to be illegal immigrants, authorities said Tuesday.

The truck packed with 23 people crashed Sunday evening near Goliad, about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio. Nine passengers remain hospitalized. Investigators were working to identify the victims who they said are from Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.

"More than likely the crash was caused by front right tire separation," Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Gerald Bryant said Tuesday.

The investigation into the crash continues, and Bryant would not say if the tire was old and worn or if the separation was a manufacturing issue. He did not name the tire brand.

Eleven people died at the scene, including at least two children. Four more died later at hospitals.

Bryant identified the driver as 22-year-old Ricardo Mendoza-Pineda, who died in the crash.

Mendoza-Pineda was from Mexico, Bryant said, but he could not comment on his immigration status. He said interviews with survivors indicated the truck was bound for Houston.

The Mexican Consulate in San Antonio had confirmed Monday that one 22-year-old man from Tamaulipas, which borders Texas, was among the dead. Bryant said he did not know what part of Mexico Mendoza-Pineda was from.

In a statement, the Guatemalan government said at least two Guatemalans died in the accident, a 27-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman.

Crashes of vehicles overloaded with illegal immigrants moving north from the border occur periodically, often as they attempt to evade authorities.

In April, nine Mexican immigrants died near the border when the teenage driver of their van crashed after fleeing Border Patrol. There were 18 people in that minivan.

In that case, six adults face a variety of federal charges and the 15-year-old driver was charged in state court with nine counts of murder.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

NEAR GOLIAD -- Investigators with the Department of Public Safety and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are looking into a deadly one vehicle accident near Goliad that killed 14 people and left 9 others hospitalized.

At the scene, a mangled mess likely all started with a flat tire. Department of Public Safety troopers say the driver of the Ford F-250 lost control Sunday evening and drove right into a tree off Highway 59, just southwest of Goliad.

Twenty three people were crammed into the truck. Five or six were in the cab of the truck while the remainder were in the bed.

Authorities suspect most are illegal immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Eleven passengers died on the scene including the driver of the truck.

"It was probably doing at least 70-75 miles an hour when it hit the tree head on," said Trooper Glenn Garrett. That's when several people were ejected, one was thrown as far as 60 feet away from the truck.

The crash happened around 6:30 in the evening, but investigators stayed well into the night searching the brush surrounding the crash for more possible victims. Among the dead are men, women and at least two children.

Identifying them is a difficult duty. "Not many of the occupants had ID on them, so it's a big task, and we're hoping to be able to work through the night to work that out," Garrett said on the scene.

The truck is registered to a Houston resident named Hector Garcia, but DPS investigators say that is not who was driving the truck. It has not been reported stolen.

Garrett said this investigation may take some time. "If they are from out of the country then border patrol and ICE will work with the consulate to work on notifications to whichever country that they may be from," he said.

It could take as long as two weeks for the investigtation into this deadly wreck to wrap up. Human trafficking charges could be filed. The injured were sent to hospitals in San Antonio, Victoria and Corpus Christi.

McALLEN, Texas (AP) - A pickup truck overloaded with illegal immigrants veered off a highway and crashed into trees in rural South Texas, killing at least 14 people and leaving 9 injured, authorities said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations agents were looking into the human smuggling aspect of the case. A Texas Department of Public Safety accident reconstruction team meanwhile investigated the cause of the Sunday evening crash in Goliad County, about 150 miles northeast of the border with Mexico.

ICE spokesman Greg Palmore said that among the 11 men and three females who died were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

Gerald Bryant, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said at least 23 passengers were crammed inside the truck's cab and bed, including at least two young children whom he saw among the dead.

"This is the most people I've seen in any passenger vehicle, and I've been an officer for 38 years," Bryant said.

The driver was among the 11 found dead at the scene, Bryant said, adding that investigators were trying to confirm his name. Six of those who died in the crash were still inside the mangled vehicle when emergency crews arrived at the scene, Bryant said.

The white 2000 Ford F-250 pickup was heading north on U.S. 59 when it drove off the right side of the highway near the unincorporated community of Berclair and struck two large trees, Bryant said. Berclair is about 90 miles southeast of San Antonio.

The truck was registered in Houston to someone other than the driver, Bryant said.

A DPS accident reconstruction team was investigating the accident, but Bryant said it could be another week or two before it is concluded. U.S. ICE agents were working to confirm the identities of the victims and investigate the possibility that they had been smuggled into the United States.

It is not uncommon for human traffickers to try to maximize profits by over-loading vehicles with illegal immigrants as they move their loads north from the Texas-Mexico border. In April, nine Mexican immigrants died near the border when the teenage driver of their van crashed after fleeing Border Patrol. There were 18 people in that minivan.

Bryant told The Associated Press that several of the survivors had life-threatening injuries. He did not have their official conditions but described them as "very serious." The injured were taken to hospitals in San Antonio, Victoria and Corpus Christi.

A Goliad County sheriff's spokesman did not immediately return a message left by the AP.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

GOLIAD, Texas (AP) - A pickup truck overloaded with passengers veered off a highway and crashed into trees in rural South Texas, killing at least 13 people and leaving 10 injured, authorities said.

Gerald Bryant, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the 23 passengers, were crammed inside the truck's cab and bed, including at least two young children whom he saw among the dead after the Sunday evening crash.

"This is the most people I've seen in any passenger vehicle, and I've been an officer for 38 years," Bryant said, referring to the chaotic scene in Goliad County.

The white 2000 Ford F-250 pickup was heading north on U.S. 59 on Sunday evening when it drove off the right side of the highway near the unincorporated community of Berclair in Goliad County and struck two large trees, Bryant said. Berclair is about 100 miles southeast of San Antonio.

State troopers and Goliad County sheriff's investigators were investigating what caused the single-vehicle crash. Border Patrol was assisting with the investigation.

"It's unknown whether or not (the victims) were illegal, but it's possible," Bryant told the AP.

Authorities initially said 11 people had died. Early Monday, Department of Public Safety dispatcher Cynthia Duffield in San Antonio said another two had died at hospitals overnight.

Six of those who died were still inside the mangled vehicle truck when emergency crews arrived at the scene, Bryant said.

"It's been very chaotic here, and it's very traumatic," Bryant told the San Antonio-Express News.

He told The Associated Press that several of the surviving victims had life-threatening injuries. He did not have their official conditions but described them as "very serious." The injured were taken to hospitals in San Antonio, Victoria and Corpus Christi.

GOLIAD COUNTY, Texas -- The Department of Public Safety has now verified that eleven people were killed in a traffic accident around 7:00 tonight on Highway 59 near Goliad.

At this hour, 59 is closed from FM 883 to 1351, so if you're in the area you'll be detoured.

Along with the fatalities, Halo-Flight brought at least 12 inured people to a Corpus Christi hospital.

We're told only a Ford-250 Super Duty Truck was involved in this accident.

There are witnesses on the scene saying the accident may have involved illegal immigrants.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is taking part in the investigation.

A DPS Trooper says it appears a tire on the truck blew before it went off the road and hit a tree.

If you would like to follow Morgan Frances, "friend" her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

NEAR GOLIAD -- The Department of Public Safety told us at least ten people were killed
in a traffic accident around 7:00 tonight on Highway 59 near Goliad.

At this hour, 59 is closed from FM 883 to 1351, so if you're in the area you'll be detoured.

Along with the fatalities, Halo-Flight and other helicopters brought in at least 12 inured people to a Corpus Christi hospital.

We're told only a Ford-250 Super Duty Truck was involved in this accident.

But right now, we don't know what caused the crash.

There are witnesses on the scene saying the accident may have involved illegal immigrants, but that hasn't been confirmed by officials yet.

We have a crew on the scene and will bring you the latest information on the Sunrise newscast beginning at 5:00 a.m.

If you would like to follow Melissa Schroeder on Facebook, "friend" her here.

GOLIAD -- 6 News has confirmed there is a major accident on Highway 59 between Berclair and Goliad involving multiple fatalities.

It just happened around 7:00 p.m. roughly 20 miles east of Beeville.

Halo-Flight landed at Spohn Memorial Hospital in Corpus Christi about an hour ago with several victims.

No other details are available at this time but we have a crew on the way to gather more information.

If you would like to follow Melissa Schroeder on Facebook, "friend" her here.