Driver in Colo. crash that killed one deported 16 times prior to wreck, ICE says

The truck driver arrested last week for a fatal crash involving multiple vehicles that left one person dead was under deportation orders at the time of the wreck, Immigration and Customs Enforcement says. 

47-year-old Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza was involved in a fatal crash while driving his semi truck on US 285 in Jefferson County, Colorado on June 11th. Cruz-Mendoza was hauling metal pipes and angle iron at the time of the wreck, and overturned the truck while going at least 65 mph through a 45 mph zone. The wreck dumped the load of metal onto five other vehicles. One person was killed and one person was seriously hurt. Cruz-Mendoza was not injured in the incident. 

Cruz-Mendoza was arrested two days later and charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, reckless driving, and driving a commercial vehicle with no CDL. Now, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says they have been aware of Cruz-Mendoza since he was arrested in the same county back in 2002. 

According to Denver ABC 7, Cruz-Mendoza has been removed and returned to Mexico at least 16 times since his 2002 arrest, and was ordered once again to be removed from the country just two weeks before the fatal crash. He was driving for Monique Trucking LLC at the time of the accident. The company has not commented on the incident. 

The other motorists involved in the accident have not been identified as of Monday morning, June 17th.