MILAN, N.M. – A wrong-way driver on Route 66 in the Village of Milan crashed into a local resident, totaling the victim’s vehicle and sending her to the hospital. The wrong-way driver was declared deceased on the scene, his name will be released as the investigation continues. The incident occurred on March 27.
The accident caused a shutdown from the Eastbound Lane of Route 66, heading toward Bluewater. The road was closed from 1:30 p.m. to 4:26 p.m. as investigators determined what caused this crash.
According to Milan Police Department traffic agents, a blue Volkswagen was travelling at a high rate of speed the wrong way on Route 66 when it entered village limits and collided with a black Dodge Challenger.
Milan Police Officer Tristen Howard investigated the accident, having several years of experience investigating fatal accidents with the Farmington Police Department, he was able to determine the driver of the Volkswagen was travelling around 60-65 miles per hour.
Officer Howard determined the victim of the accident tried to swerve to avoid the wrong-way driver, but was unable to escape their path. As emergency crews responded to the incident, they found oil had spilled across the road, the female victim was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Caring about the community is an important part of being a Milan Police Officer, Chief Carl Ustupski said, which is why Officer Howard personally called to check on the female victim, he reported to the Cibola Citizen that she would be okay, saying that her newer model car was largely why she survived the accident that crushed the front end of both vehicles.
The spilled oil is believed to have removed any skid marks from the road that would have originated from tires. Officer Howard identified the speed of the wrong-way driver by investigating gouges left in the road by high-speeds and pressure from the wrong-way vehicle.
The investigation is ongoing, Milan Police Department is waiting on a toxicology screen to know if the wrong-way driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Responding emergency crews did observe open containers of alcohol inside the wrong-way driver’s Volkswagen.
The female victim was properly wearing her seatbelt.
Milan Police Department has teamed up with Cibola County DWI Prevention to spread awareness to Cibola’s youth about the dangers of intoxicated, influenced, and distracted driving. Chief Ustupski said that car accidents are avoidable if driver’s make informed and responsible decisions not to get behind the wheel when intoxicated or influenced and leave their hand-held devices like cell phones in their pockets, paying full attention to the road and obeying traffic laws.