At around 6 PM on Friday, July 19, New Mexico State Police released the following regarding a fatal traffic accident at Mile Marker 59 of I-25 Thursday evening. The accident occurred just north of Arrey, NM.
Source: New Mexico State Police via Facebook
SIERRA COUNTY, NM – On Thursday, July 18, 2024, at approximately 10:50 p.m., New Mexico State Police were dispatched to a crash involving two commercial motor vehicles on Interstate 25 near mile marker 59.
Upon arrival, officers discovered both vehicles engulfed in flames, resulting in complete burn-through of both trucks. The Office of the Medical Investigator pronounced both drivers deceased at the scene.
The driver of Vehicle #2 was later identified as Adrian Alejandro Cruz, a resident of El Paso, TX. The driver of Vehicle #1 remains unidentified at this time.
Preliminary investigation indicates that Vehicle #1 was traveling northbound on Interstate 25 when it struck an elk in the middle of the roadway. This collision caused Vehicle #1 to swerve to the left, breach the median barrier, and enter the southbound lanes, where it collided head-on with Vehicle #2. The impact of the collision caused both vehicles to catch fire.
New Mexico State Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic crash.
