Brownsville, TX — The driver who was involved in a bus stop crash that killed eight people and injured at least ten others, has been charged with manslaughter.
34-year-old George Alvarez was taken into custody for the incident that occurred around 8:30 a.m. Sunday at a bus stop in front of the Ozanam Center.
Authorities say that the group was mostly made up of Venezuelan men who were waiting for the bus to return to Downtown Brownsville after spending the night at the shelter when the incident occurred.
Six people were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more died at the hospital.
10 more people were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from serious to critical.
Alvarez also sustained injuries in the crash when his vehicle flipped over.
Authorities say, Alvarez, a Brownsville resident, was “very uncooperative” with hospital staff and gave authorities several different names until he was finally identified.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation:
It can be three factors,” Brownsville police investigator Martin Sandoval said. “It could be intoxication; it could be an accident; or it could be intentional. In order for us to find out exactly what happened, we have to eliminate the other two.”
Surveillance from the scene appears to show Alvarez running a red light and crashing into the crowd at the bus stop.
One of the victims, however, told police that Alvarez taunted and yelled insults at the people at the bus stop before crashing into them.
Authorities also reported that Alvarez has an “extensive rap sheet.”