-
The wreckage from a July 14 crash on westbound I-40 was responsible for significant damage to multiple vehicles and was the cause of two fatalities. Cibola County Sheriff’s Office deputies said alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Courtesy photo
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – The Cibola County Sheriff’s Office responded to a multi-vehicle accident on July 14 that led to two fatalities and multiple injuries. The incident closed Interstate 40 for several hours, causing traffic backups.
The accident caused significant damage to the two main vehicles involved, a semi-truck and a personal car. According to the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the semi-truck, identified as Parmjit Singh, was not paying attention while driving and crashed into the backside of a personal vehicle; the accident occurred on westbound I-40 at mile marker 81.
The damage from the vehicle was so bad that CCSO could not verify whether Singh was wearing a seatbelt, responding agencies found Singh in the driver’s seat, but the seat was not attached to the semi-truck. Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace said that alcohol was not a factor in this accident, “We just believe the semi-truck driver wasn’t paying attention.”
According to CCSO, the accident occurred when the semi-truck collided with a vehicle that was stopped for road construction. The resulting crash sling-shot the personal vehicle into two other personal vehicles, causing multiple injuries on the scene.
Both Singh and the driver of the vehicle he hit were casualties in this accident.
As with all major accidents, Sheriff Mace warned that drivers need to be cautious on the roads, wear seatbelts, and follow posted speed limits.