25 People Crammed into Single SUV Crash into Semi Truck in California, 13 Killed

Thirteen people have been killed after a single SUV carrying 25 was hit by a semi truck in California.

The Ford Expedition was crammed with more than three times its maximum occupancy when it collided with the truck hauling two trailers in Imperial County near the US-Mexico border on Tuesday morning.

With only enough seatbelts for eight people, many of the victims thrown clear of the vehicle and scattered all around the gruesome scene, while several more deceased were found inside.

California Highway Patrol Border Division Chief Omar Watson said the driver of the Ford was killed along with 12 of his passengers.

Those killed ranged in age from 20 to 55, while some of the injured were as young as 16.

"Obviously that vehicle is not meant for that many people," he said, per CNN. "It's unfortunate that that number of people were put into that vehicle because there's not enough safety restraints to safely keep those people within the vehicle."

The survivors were rushed to El Centro Regional Medical Center, Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and Pioneers Memorial Hospital in nearby Brawley, while three were airlifted to UC San Diego Health.

Initial reports from the hospitals indicated there were actually 28 people stuffed into the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Police received the call at 6:15 AM; they found the truck had been travelling northbound on the 115, while the SUV was travelling west on Norrish Road.

It is not yet known if the SUV stopped at its stop sign; but they fatally met in the intersection, with the truck T-Boning the left side of the Ford. The driver of the truck escaped with moderate injuries.