Police searching for people who ran from crashed truck, possibly tied to human smuggling
SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police say they plan to keep searching the area where a group of people disappeared after running from a pickup involved in a minor crash.
They say it appears the truck and the man who was driving it may have been tied to human smuggling.
The crash happened before 8 a.m. on northbound Interstate 35, near Fischer Road.
San Antonio police say an off-duty SWAT officer was on his way to work when the truck made a lane change and hit his unmarked, department-issued SUV.
“The SWAT officer was pushed over into a cement side rail. He thought the other vehicle was going to pull over, but it went to take off,” said Sgt. Darryl Rook with SAPD.
Rook says the officer then turned on his red and blue lights, causing the truck driver to pull over.
At that time, Rook said, about 6-10 people piled out of the pickup’s cab and bed and ran off into wooded area.
Officers who arrived to help went into the thick brush after the group, but they came out alone.
However, police did catch the driver and plan to charge him with hit-and-run.
“We’re also investigating potential human trafficking,” Rook said. “We haven’t come up with any of those occupants (who ran away).”
Should officers find the people who ran from the truck, that could mean additional charges for the pickup driver.
