Man dies in Florida whilst trying to flee ICE agents, aged just 28

A man has died while fleeing from immigration enforcement agents after being struck by a tractor-trailer.

According to authorities, along with four other individuals, the 28-year-old had been travelling inside a vehicle on Tuesday (14 Jul) which stopped at a gas station in St. Augustine, Florida shortly before 7am.

After encountering a group of on-duty ICE agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers, the foursome reportedly fled the scene on foot.

Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan told the press that the man who died ran across a busy road, placing himself directly in line with a moving trailer, after which the driver stopped to help him.

The man, whose identity hasn't yet been revealed, is understood to have died on the scene.

The official cause of the run-in hasn't yet been confirmed.

The man ran before a moving vehicle (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)

HSI officials later confirmed that they had an 'encounter' with four men who'd been travelling in a vehicle situated in the parking lot.

Bryan recalled: "The pedestrian was struck by the tractor-trailer in the right lane and sustained fatal injuries on scene. The tractor-trailer immediately stopped and attempted to render aid to the victim."

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson later confirmed in a statement: "On July 14, DHS law enforcement conducted an operation near St Johns, Florida. Florida highway patrol and HSI are investigating an incident resulting in the death of a Mexican national.

"We will provide an update when available."

The fate of the other three men - whether they fled or were arrested by attending officers - is also yet to be confirmed.

The incident marks the third death in just over a week involving ICE agents following a fatal shooting in both Maine and Texas, both of which sparked public outcry across the country.

Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was shot in Maine earlier this week (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)

Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian immigrant, was fatally shot by an ICE official on Monday during an arrest attempt in Maine.

Last week, another immigrant, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, also died in Texas after being shot by a federal officer who attempted to arrest him and his colleagues during their journey home from work.

The latest killing, however, marks the 10th since Donald Trump launched his controversial mass immigrant deportation mission last year.

The Florida man's death has also been described as a tragedy by Jacksonville Rep, Democrat Angie Nixon, who claimed it occurred due to the actions of an out-of-control federal agency.

"Whether it’s ICE agents gunning down a father in the streets of Houston, shooting a young man in Maine or conducting operations right here in Northeast Florida that result in a deadly crash," she declared. "The outcome is the same: fear, chaos and death."