A six-month old baby girl was killed when a van carrying a family lost control on Interstate 35 and flipped over, injuring 13 others.
Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Lisa Block says the accident happened around 2 a.m. north of Hillsboro, about a mile north of the I-35E and I-35W split.
The left rear tire of the 1994 Dodge van blew out according to a DPS press release. Troopers said the driver, Abel Luna of Dallas, lost control of the van and it rolled several times. Officers arrived to find the van on it's roof in the ditch.
Block says the van was pulling a trailer and the passengers told authorities they were traveling from Dallas to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, for a family reunion.
Luna's neighbors said he often drove families to and from Mexico as a side business.
"This is a family that had not seen their family that’s residing in Mexico in 6 years and they were traveling home for a reunion," said Hill County Sheriff Jeffrey Lyon.
The Associated Press reported the girl who died has been identified as Evelyn Kate Garcia.
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DPS spokesman Lonny Haschel said Monday afternoon that of the 13 taken to area hospitals, five had been treated and released. The rest were in stable condition.
I-35E was closed for several hours, but has since reopened and traffic is flowing normal in the area.
