Guadalupe County, NM – On January 2, 2022, at around 8:00 a.m., the New Mexico State Police investigated a fatal crash on Interstate 40, near milepost 269, west of Santa Rosa, NM.
The initial investigation indicated that a 2016 Honda Pilot was traveling east on Interstate 40. For reasons still under investigation, the Honda left the roadway and flipped. Franklin Chavez, 28, of Dallas, TX, a passenger in the Honda suffered fatal injury, and was pronounced deceased by the Office of the Medical Investigator at an area hospital. The 31-year-old driver and 7 remaining passengers (5 children and 2 adults) were all transported to an area hospital with varying degrees of injuries. Their conditions are not known.
Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash and Chavez was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. This crash is under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.