At least eight people were killed Sunday when an SUV ran a red light and plowed into a group of people waiting for a bus outside an immigrant reception center in Texas, police said.

Law enforcement said it was treating it as an accident for now, although a witness told AFP that the driver yelled insults at the group before speeding away.

Police spokesman Martin Sandoval told AFP the gray vehicle "ran a red light and hit multiple people" at around 8:30 am (1330 GMT) in the border town of Brownsville in the far south of the state.

He added that seven people were killed and "about ten" others were wounded. And US media reported later that a person died of his injuries in hospital.

Witness Luis Herrera, who was injured in the arm, told AFP it was "surprising".
"A woman passed a car and warned us to get off the road," he added.

"It was just a matter of moments," the 36-year-old Venezuelan said. "The killer came in the car, pointing at us and insulting us."

Herrera then described the driver as speeding with all his might.

Meanwhile, witnesses held the driver, who Sandoval said was taken to hospital, until police arrived. He has now been charged with reckless driving.

Sandoval had told a local ABC affiliate that "it is likely that other charges will be brought against him at a later time," without clarifying what these charges are.

Until late Sunday evening, the police did not identify the driver, while a press conference is expected to be held on Monday morning.

Sandoval explained that the authorities have opened an investigation into whether the accident was intentional or not.

"We are looking (into it)," he told AFP.

The victims were among a group of 25 people waiting at a bus stop, according to Victor Maldonado, executive director of Ozanam, a shelter across the street from where the accident occurred.

He described a horrific scene, as there were body parts along the street.

Madonado told AFP that the witnesses were "very shocked", adding that it was "very tough".

Maldonado added that the shelter is open 24 hours a day, where "we house people from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, China and Ukraine - and many Venezuelans."

Sandoval indicated that at least some of the victims were immigrants, but he did not confirm whether all of them were.
"It is something we are investigating with the border police," he said.

This tragedy comes as the US authorities prepare Thursday to lift the federal measure for immigrants, which was imposed under former President Donald Trump and allows border guards to deport immigrants without even accepting their asylum applications.

The authorities fear an increase in the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States, with the expiration of this procedure.

Also, this incident occurred the day after a shooting killed at least eight people in a Texas mall, in the latest mass shooting to rock the country.