HOUSTON — The authorities in Brownsville city, which is close to the border with Mexico, said that a driver of a car ploughed into a crowd of migrants on Sunday, killing at least eight people.

Martin Sandoval, an investigator with the Brownsville Police Department, claimed that seven of the victims "were dead on the spot" when police arrived. At least ten people were hurt, and one of them needed to be evacuated to a hospital nearby. The department announced on Sunday night that one person later passed away.

Around 8:30 a.m. local time, a Range Rover ploughed into the group outside the Ozanam Centre, close to a bus stop, according to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevio Jr. 

Despite being charged with reckless driving and being jailed, the motorist, who was not publicly identified and was thought to be in his 30s or 40s, could face more penalties, according to Mr. Sandoval.

The individual had been conversing with detectives in both English and Spanish, but he had also given them different names, refused to take a breathalyser test, and hadn't given them his fingerprints, according to Mr. Sandoval.

Police were still investigating the vehicle's speed and whether the collision was deliberate. According to Mr. Sandoval, the police have requested a warrant for the driver's blood in order to determine whether or not he was drunk.