(KGTV) - Five people fled the scene after the car they were in went down an embankment and came to a stop during a Border Patrol chase in the East County.
The pursuit occurred just before 11 p.m. Wednesday on eastbound Interstate 8 in the Buckman Springs area, authorities said.
The chase started when Border Patrol agents tried to stop a white Hyundai Sonata on SR-94 near Campo. The driver failed to yield, agents said.
Agents deployed a spike strip which deflated the right front tire, but the car kept going.
The pursuit continued north on Buckman Springs Road to I-8 where agents tried to perform a box maneuver. Agents said the driver swerved and tried to hit a Border Patrol vehicle. Eventually, the driver pulled to the shoulder and jumped out of the moving car.
The vehicle kept rolling until it hit a fence 200 yards off the freeway, agents said. Five passengers in the car got out and ran away.
Agents caught the driver, who was treated for minor injuries at the hospital.
Only one of the five passengers was caught. Border Patrol agents identified the man as an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala.
The driver will face felony charges for alien smuggling, according to the Border Patrol. The Guatemalan man will face removal proceedings.
