Highway Public Safety

A federal grand jury has returned a 13‑count indictment against Louisiana resident Rassian Nateray Comer nearly three years after a 100‑mph smuggling chase through West Texas ended in a crash that killed 71‑year‑old Maria Scorro Tambunga and her 7‑year‑old granddaughter, Emilia, along with two Mexican nationals being transported. Prosecutors say a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper tried to stop Comer’s 2021 Ram 1500 on March 13, 2023, but he allegedly fled at speeds above 100 mph, crossed the I‑10 median twice, briefly drove the wrong way on the interstate, then ran a red light at about 84 mph in Ozona and slammed into the Tambungas’ pickup. The indictment alleges Comer was hauling 11 migrants who had recently crossed the border illegally — eight in the truck’s cab and three in the bed — and that nine survivors suffered serious injuries. Authorities say Comer went live on Facebook during the pursuit, briefly showing police lights and a speedometer reading 105 mph, and that officers later found a stolen 9mm handgun wedged under the brake pedal. He is charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, 11 counts of transportation of an illegal alien resulting in death, and possession of a stolen firearm, and faces up to life in federal prison if convicted. Homeland Security Investigations officials are using the case to underline how migrant‑smuggling runs routinely endanger both passengers and bystanders on U.S. roads.