Wreck Leads Arrest of 15 Illegals

WRAL At least 15 undocumented workers are in custody after an early-morning raid in west Raleigh. The raid stems from a traffic accident that tied up traffic for hours on Interstate 40 during Monday's morning commute. Work to add seating to the west end zone of Carter-Finley Stadium was halted as immigration and customs enforcement officers executed the raid Tuesday. The workers had been hired by the Miller and Long construction agency to renovate the stadium, in a $19 million upgrade financed by the Wolfpack Club. Authorities discovered the illegal hot spot while tracking three undocumented people who were involved in an I-40 accident Monday morning. The accident left a minivan on its side and tied up traffic for hours in the eastbound lanes. Although the driver, who authorities said caused the accident, fled the scene, troopers questioned the other three passengers. They did not have documents or identification to prove their citizenship and were released. The driver has not been located. State Rep. Russell Capps said troopers should have not have allowed the undocumented men to leave the accident scene. He said he will use the incident as an example of how North Carolina law enforcement should be more involved in detaining and tracking illegal immigrants.