Fatal Crash in Roosevelt County Near Portales

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Written by Candace Hopkins 05/24/2022

Roosevelt County, NM – On May 23, 2022, at around 2:00 a.m., the New Mexico State Police responded to a single-vehicle rollover on Westbound US 70, near Roosevelt Road 3, north of Portales, NM.

The initial investigation indicated that a 2005 Chevy truck, driven by Septimus Goyahkla Tarango, 22, of Albuquerque, was traveling west on US 70 near Roosevelt Road 3. For unknown reasons, the truck left the roadway then rolled, ejecting Tarango. He was then hit by a passing vehicle. He suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

A seat belt does not appear to have been worn at the time of the crash. This crash was investigated by the New Mexico State Police.