Written by Officer Ray Wilson 02/21/2022
Quay County, NM – On February 18, 2022, at around 8:00 p.m. the New Mexico State Police was called to investigate a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a U-Haul box van on U.S. Highway 54 near milepost 321.
The initial investigation indicated that a 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer traveling west on U.S. Highway 54 attempted to pass another commercial motor vehicle (CMV). While passing the CMV, the Freightliner struck an east-bound 2019 Ford U-Haul box van head-on. The driver of the U-Haul, Stephanie Chasar, 53, of Chandler, AZ, sustained fatal injuries in the collision and was pronounced deceased at the scene. A 26-year-old passenger in the U-Haul suffered severe injuries and was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The 30-year-old driver of the Freightliner was not injured. He will not be identified unless charged with a crime.
The cause of this crash is under investigation by the New Mexico State Police Uniform Bureau with the assistance of the New Mexico State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit. Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor and seatbelts appear to have been properly worn.