A horse trailer carrying at least 18 suspected illegal aliens fishtailed from behind the truck hauling it and careened off the I-8 in east San Diego County, California on Saturday.

The horse trailer, which was being hauled by an F-150 truck, was seen fishtailing just before noon, losing control and then leaving the roadway, California Highway Patrol (CHP) told the San Diego Union-Tribune. The trailer ripped from the truck and tipped over. Those packed inside the trailer scattered from the scene.

CHP, Border Patrol and CalFire responded to the scene, where 18-19 individuals were found in the surrounding area. CalFire established triage to assess those they could on the scene, CalFire’s Kurt Zingheim told local Fox5 News.

Six of those found were taken to local hospitals according to Fox5, two by helicopter and four by ambulance. At least one suffered a gash to the head. CHP told reporters that the injuries were not life-threatening. Border Patrol took into custody those not taken to a hospital.

The driver of the truck had not been identified by Border Patrol at the time by the Union-Tribune. Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Olmos said the legal status of the individuals was not immediately known.

Court documents filed in January described a similar incident when law enforcement authorities pulled over a suspicious delivery truck on San Diego’s Old Highway 80 and found 77 profusely sweating individuals believed to be illegal aliens, stuffed in the cargo area. The driver of the truck allegedly admitted to authorities that he was a human smuggler

In a similar situation last December, Border Patrol agents at Texas’ Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint searched a suspicious tractor-trailer and found 22 illegal aliens hidden among the truck’s cargo. Breitbart Texas reported that agents offered medical assistance due to the cold weather, but the individuals declined.

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