The two men who died in a rollover after a chase with law enforcement that began in La Joya and ended in Palmview on Wednesday have been identified, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Gabriel Salas Sifuentes, 29, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene and 31-year-old Jose Ismael Campos Rodriguez, also an occupant of the vehicle, died from his injuries at a DHR Health hospital.
Both were Mexican citizens.
According to La Joya Police Sgt. Manuel Casas, La Joya police tried to pull over a green Ford Expedition traveling near Farm-to-Market Road 2221 at approximately 7:50 a.m., but the driver refused to yield.
The driver sped toward Abram Road from FM 2221, and at some point, lost control of the wheel north of 8 Mile Line and the vehicle rolled over.
Two men and a woman in the vehicle were injured. One was airlifted by helicopter and the other two were taken to the hospital, but Sifuentes died later that afternoon, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Investigators believe the woman was the driver but, according to Casas, the details are still being worked out.
It’s also believed some of the passengers were smuggled into the United States.
DPS is handling the crash investigation while La Joya police work the criminal investigation.
The other two occupants of the Ford remain hospitalized and in critical condition.
