Freeway Death Toll at Border Rises to 6

A woman believed to be an illegal immigrant became the sixth pedestrian struck and killed along Interstate 5 near the U.S.-Mexico border so far this year, officials said.

The victim, who remained unidentified, was the first such fatality since highway authorities shut down up to four lanes of the eight-lane freeway along a hazardous stretch of I-5 just north of the border.

California Department of Transportation authorities closed the lanes in mid-July, seeking to reduce the extreme risk for immigrants who regularly cross the freeway on foot.

The latest victim was struck down on 4:40 a.m. Tuesday, in the northbound lanes of I-5 near the Via de San Ysidro off ramp, the CHP said.

She was attempting to catch up with a group of about 10 pedestrians who had just crossed the roadway when she was hit by a car driving 45-50 m.p.h., the CHP said. The driver was able to avoid the large group, the CHP said, but he could not avert hitting the woman, who was believed to be in her mid-30s. She died at the scene.

Since the lane shutdown, U.S. Border Patrol officials and others have complained about huge numbers of immigrants gathering in the now-expanded freeway median area.

But Caltrans authorities say they have no plans to reopen the lanes. They say the lane reduction has rendered the strip safer for pedestrians by reducing motorists’ speeds and cutting the distance that pedestrians must run to cross the busy roadway.

Border-jumpers have long gravitated to the freeway area, which is directly in the path of major clandestine smuggling routes from neighboring Tijuana.

For safety reasons, Border Patrol agents are directed to refrain from making arrests along the freeway median and shoulder while traffic is moving. Law enforcement officers say the median has consequently become a kind of haven, despite the danger to those who brave the freeway.

Since 1987, according to the California Highway Patrol, vehicles have struck and killed 90 immigrants along border-area freeways, mostly on or along I-5. At least 72 others have been injured.

Caltrans officials say they plan to construct a chain-link fence in the median of I-5 near the border. The idea is to dissuade people from crossing the roadway on foot, according to Caltrans, which has no timetable for construction of the barrier.

But critics fear that the fence could just trap hapless pedestrians in the median zone, inducing panic that could lead some to dart into the traffic.

In response to the continuing problem, a team of Caltrans supervisors is slated to visit the border zone this weekend. They plan to speak with law enforcement authorities and with residents in an effort to craft other solutions.

“We’re trying to take a fresh look and see how we fit into the entire problem,” said James Larson, a Caltrans spokesman. “We want to look at all angles and see if we’ve missed something.”