Police nab 12 alleged illegal immigrants after accident in South Whitehall Township (The Express-Times)

Police nab 12 alleged illegal immigrants after accident in South Whitehall Township
By Express-Times staff
February 02, 2010, 8:15AM
Twelve alleged illegal immigrants were detained in Lehigh County Prison after a three-vehicle crash Friday evening on Route 22 in South Whitehall Township.

Pennsylvania State Police at Bethlehem say Edward D. Hersch, 46, of Coplay, was driving east about 5 p.m. in an area of heavy traffic. He was unable to stop his vehicle before crashing into a van driven by Jose R. Crespo-Gradio, 25. John P. O'Donnell, 51, of Easton, then rear-ended Hersch's vehicle.

Police say Crespo-Gradio and 11 of his passengers were in the country illegally from Mexico. Police called Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain the men.

The following people were in the vehicle with Crespo-Gradio. Police did not provide addresses for the men and did not specify which 11 were the suspected illegal immigrants:
Reynalodo Rodriguez, 49
Jose S. Garcia-Hernadez, 22
Miguel A. Hernandez, 29
Abel Guzman, 40
Alejandro Diaz-Hernadez, 33
Miguel A. Razo-Ramos, 26
Alfanzo Zavala, 38
Roberto Ruiz, 28
Jose A. Figueroa-Marales, 32
John Cano, 26
Jose-Cano-Cano, 38
Rodolfo Cardenas, 39

Hersch was cited for speeding. Figueroa-Marales suffered a minor injury. No one else was hurrt, police say.