Lea County, NM – On January 6, 2022, at around 11:43 p.m., the New Mexico State Police investigated a crash on Lea County Road 1 (Orla Road) involving a pedestrian being struck by a pickup truck.
The initial investigation indicated that an International tractor trailer was stuck in the dirt on Orla Road south of Royce Lane. The tractor trailer was blocking both north and southbound lanes of Orla Road. Cesar Gutierrez Dominguez, 37, of Levelland, TX along with several other motorist had stopped to help the stuck tractor trailer. A 2019 Chevy Silverado driven by a 32-year-old man was traveling south on Orla Road approaching the scene. The driver of the Silverado, who did not immediately see the stuck tractor trailer, swerved off the road to avoid hitting the tractor trailer. The Silverado struck and injured Dominguez who was standing behind the tractor trailer. Dominguez was transported to a hospital in Kermit, TX where he was pronounced deceased.
Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor in this crash which is under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.