Saturday, November 29, 2008

Several injured in I-25 rollover

Gerald Garner Jr. El Defensor Chieftain Editor, ggarner@dchieftain.com

Several people were injured and at least one is presumed dead following a single vehicle rollover on I-25 yesterday (Friday).

According to New Mexico State Police spokesman Pete Olson, up to eight people were traveling in the vehicle when it overturned. Olson told reporters with the Albuquerque Journal that the accident possibly left one dead.

Names of the injured were not available at Chieftain press time, nor were details indicating what might have caused the destructive accident.

What is known is that multiple injuries prompted the convergence of several ambulance and fire department response teams as well as at least a trio of helicopters to the scene.

Emergency personnel worked on several victims as law enforcement officers kept northbound traffic stopped. At least three victims were airlifted from the scene.

The late-model sport utility vehicle rolled over and came to rest on its roof on the northbound shoulder of the interstate.

Original reports indicated that a bus might be involved. Although a bus was parked along the interstate's shoulder, it did not appear to be involved.

A representative of the Office of the Medical Investigator was on the scene shortly after 1 p.m.

A line of northbound traffic stretched back more than a mile as emergency workers continued to assist the multiple victims.

At this time, information is only preliminary. A follow-up story is planned for the Wednesday, Dec. 3, edition of El Defensor Chieftain.

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