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  4. Border Patrol Agents Treat Multiple Critically Injured Patients on State Route 85

Border Patrol Agents Treat Multiple Critically Injured Patients on State Route 85

Release Date
Thu, 02/28/2019

TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents provided vital medical care to multiple patients critically injured in a car collision near mile marker 48 on State Route 85 near Ajo, Tuesday afternoon.

Graphic map of vehicle accident location
Graphic map of vehicle accident location

At approximately 1:40 p.m., an agent patrolling SR85 encountered a fatal head-on collision between two SUVs. Four surviving passengers were found needing treatment for life-threatening injuries.

The agent on scene immediately requested emergency medical services and Border Patrol agents from the Ajo Station and the Border Patrol’s Search, Trauma and Rescue team responded to the accident scene.

More than 20 Border Patrol agents, including a paramedic and several Emergency Medical Technicians provided life-saving treatment for the passengers.

Over the course of an hour, Border Patrol agents treated the victims, conducted traffic control, closed a stretch of SR85, approximately 90 miles southwest of Phoenix and prepared a landing zone for four medevac helicopters.  Life Flight transported the patients to a regional children’s hospital and a separate medical center.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Due to the remoteness and rugged landscapes within the Tucson Sector, the Border Patrol is frequently the first agency to respond to emergencies in this region.

The Tucson Sector Border Patrol continues to provide rapid medical response with 22 certified paramedics and an additional 232 agents cross-trained as EMTs.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021