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Jorge Moreno Lopez

Age : 28

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 10/13/2022

Location : U.S. Highway 377 / South Llano River, near Junction

City : Junction

County : Kimble

State : Texas

Agency : Texas Department of Public Safety

Officer(s) :Justin Derr

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Passenger killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

REASON FOR CHASE:
Passenger killed during a Texas Department of Public Safety pursuit initiated after Trooper Justin Derr received a BOLO for a pickup truck suspected of human smuggling and attempted a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 377.
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NARRATIVE:
On 10/13/2022, 28-year-old Jorge Moreno Lopez, a Guatemalan national, was killed when a Chevrolet pickup truck in which he was a passenger overturned into the South Llano River during a Texas Department of Public Safety pursuit that began near Rocksprings and ended in Kimble County near Junction.
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Shortly after 2:00 a.m., DPS Trooper Justin Derr received a BOLO alert for a vehicle suspected of human smuggling. Derr located the black Chevrolet pickup on U.S. Highway 377 and attempted a traffic stop. The driver, 40-year-old Ruben Fernandez Sandoval of Austin, continued driving and Derr initiated a pursuit.
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The pursuit continued north from the Rocksprings area toward Junction for more than 30 minutes. Later court-related reporting documented a pursuit distance of approximately 34 miles and speeds exceeding 90 mph.
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As Sandoval approached a curve in Kimble County, he lost control of the pickup. The truck overturned and landed upside down in a low-water crossing in the South Llano River, leaving the cab submerged and multiple occupants trapped underwater.
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Trooper Derr entered the water and attempted to rescue the occupants. U.S. Border Patrol personnel and other responding officers joined the rescue effort. Four passengers were rescued and transported for medical treatment, but Moreno Lopez drowned inside the overturned truck and died at the scene.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Texas DPS Trooper Justin Derr of Junction was publicly identified as the trooper who initiated and conducted the pursuit. DPS later awarded Derr a Lifesaving Award for entering the submerged vehicle and participating in the rescue of its occupants.
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SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-personnel-recognized-december-psc-meeting
https://sanangelolive.com/news/crime/2025-06-12/high-speed-chase-ends-llano-river-crash-human-smuggler-sentenced-death-migrant
https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-high-speed-chase-ends-illegal-immigrant-dead-four-injured-car-rolls-into-river-dps-says