Mexican tourist killed after fleeing ICE in Florida

A 28-year-old Mexican man was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer in St. Augustine, Florida, on July 14 after fleeing an encounter with federal immigration agents, according to multiple sources. The man has been identified by his family and an advocacy group as Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán, a father of two from Guanajuato, Mexico, who was visiting the United States on a valid tourist visa.

The incident occurred shortly before 7 a.m. near a Wawa gas station off State Road 16. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Coronilla Durán was one of four people in a vehicle that was approached by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations. All four fled on foot, and Coronilla Durán ran across the busy highway, where he was hit by a truck.

A witness, truck driver Jose Rivera, described seeing the man reach the median, slip and fall, then stumble into the path of oncoming traffic while looking back over his shoulder. Rivera said the traffic was moving quickly and Coronilla Durán lost his footing. Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the initial encounter or the whereabouts of the three other individuals.