Source: Fox News
San Diego, California –  Immigration agent Cole Dotson, part of a team following a suspected methamphetamine smuggler in December 2009, was going more than 100 miles/hour, and ran a stop sign, according to California transportation authorities.

At  at an El Centro intersection his car slammed into a van carrying three women and two children; the women died, the children survived. The federal government has agreed on Thursday to pay $11 million to the relatives of three women: The family of Sandra García, who was driving the van that was struck, and María Nieto, a passenger, will receive $7.2 million, said the families’ attorney Jim Frantz. The family of a third passenger, Patricia Reyes, will receive $3.8 million.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent  was going more than 100 mph before he slammed into the van carrying the victims.

Dotson did not have his vehicle’s lights or sirens on at the time. Now he faces vehicular manslaughter charges in Imperial County, a rare instance of a federal agent facing criminal charges for on-duty conduct. He has pleaded not guilty and, at an October hearing in El Centro, was ordered to stand trial.

Dotson’s lawyers want the case transferred to federal court in San Diego so he will be able to claim immunity from state criminal charges as a federal law enforcement agent.