The preliminary investigation determined that U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a driver as part of a human trafficking investigation but the driver fled the area. The suspect vehicle travelled the wrong way on I-19 and collided with an oncoming vehicle
Nogales, AZ – Authorities are investigating a deadly collision involving a driver fleeing from Border Patrol near Nogales early Friday morning.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the crash happened shortly after 4 a.m. January 23, on Interstate 19.
The preliminary investigation determined that U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a driver as part of a human trafficking investigation but the driver fled the area. The suspect vehicle travelled the wrong way on I-19 and collided with an oncoming vehicle.
Two passengers in the suspect’s vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. A third passenger and the driver of the second vehicle were transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
The suspect attempted to flee on foot but was caught and placed under arrest by the Border Patrol agents. The suspect, identified as Adolfo Hernandez Salazar, was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Salazar was later booked into the Santa Cruz County jail on multiple charges including two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggrevated assault.
The identities of the deceased passengers were not immediately released. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Arizona experienced a slight decline in traffic incidents over the past two years, though crash fatalities remain high. In 2023, the state reported 122,247 total motor-vehicle crashes with 1,307 deaths, while 2024 saw a small decrease to 121,107 crashes and 1,228 fatalities, representing a 6.1% drop in deaths compared with the previous year. Despite the modest improvement, the number of serious injuries and fatalities remains near historically high levels, highlighting ongoing road safety challenges. Speeding, impaired driving, and failure to use safety devices continue to be major contributing factors in fatal and serious crashes across the state. Emergency response efforts and public safety campaigns aim to reduce these risks, but Arizona’s highways and urban roads continue to see a significant number of severe accidents annually.
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