GRANTS, N.M. –
A stolen truck from McKinley County was the beginning of a short-lived chase in Grants, New Mexico, on May 11. The chase made it up to the intersection of New Mexico Highway 53 and Santa Fe Avenue where it collided with other vehicles and drove right through a traffic light, ripping it from the ground, before spinning out of control and crashing in between Discount Liquor and Kentucky Fried Chicken on Santa Fe Avenue. One suspect was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital and two others ran away. One that ran away has not been charged; the other runaway is identified as Darius Dixon, the alleged driver of the stolen truck, who police are looking for as a person of interest.
Devastation and destruction were all that remained after the black truck came to a resting position on Santa Fe Avenue. Grants Police officers were dispatched to a scene where men were allegedly breaking the windows to cars. When on scene, officers identified a black Dually Truck as stolen and began a pursuit that quickly made its way on to Santa Fe Avenue.The short-lived chase drove past Cocina Camacho before the black truck crashed into a Ford F250 hauling a camper trailer. The accident caused the truck and trailer to jackknife.
The stolen truck crashed into the traffic light, ripping it out of the ground and taking several traffic signs with it. Before finally spinning out, the black truck crashed into another vehicle and forced it into oncoming traffic; the airbags deployed in this vehicle.
Finally, the truck spun out of control, taking down more traffic signs and coming to a rest just off Santa Fe Avenue. The backseat occupant was unable to leave the scene, he was injured and covered in blood. The driver has been identified as 22- year-old Darius Dixon by GPD, the department is actively seeking Dixon. The front seat passenger was identified as 19-yearold Joseph Huddleston and was charged with Obstructing the Police.
Both Dixon and Huddleston allegedly abandoned the back seat passenger, running up the hill to Lava Place Road. An eyewitness walked down from North Lava Road, claiming that one of the suspects walked through his backyard while he and his brother were working on a car. The eyewitness said he approached the suspect to see if he needed help when the suspect bran dished a gun. The eyewitness came down to alert the police to the suspect’s position.
Milan Police Department arrived with significant speed at the crash to help secure the crash scene, Grants Fire and Rescue arrived with Fire Chief Robert Hays helping to conduct traffic. New Mexico State Police and the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office aided GPD in tracking and arresting Hiddleston.
As law enforcement canvassed the hill, Superior Ambulance and GFR Emergency Medical Services rendered aide to the unnamed backseat passenger, after loading him into the ambulance, the crew did not move. About thirty minutes after the suspect was loaded in the ambulance, a helicopter flew overhead bearing the marking for UNMH in Albuquerque, N.M. The helicopter landed near a Milan Police Department cruiser and a team of three medical professionals made their way to the ambulance. With assistance from EMS crews, they transferred the unnamed susopect into the helicopter. The suspect survived and has not been charged. GPD Chief Jeff Marez said that all of the suspects were in their early 20s. Inside the black truck, which was allegedly stolen, GPD did not discover any illegal drugs or paraphernalia.
The accident occurred right about 3 p.m. on a Wednesday, traffic was starting to increase just as the accident occurred. Traffic was diverted to NM53, which is currently undergoing construction, further bottlenecking traffic. Chief Marez said that this disruption is causing minimal issues, and that GPD monitors the intersection which feeds traffic from Interstate-40 into Grants, to help prevent issues.