Fatal crash near Jal

By John Earp

Close to midnight last Sunday, a fatal crash occurred about two miles east of Jal on State Road 128. According to Jal Police Chief Mauricio Valeriano, the New Mexico State Police worked the accident, and NMSP would have the police report. The Jal Record has contacted New Mexico State Police about the accident, but as of press time this week had yet to receive the accident report. Valeriano said the accident occurred two miles east of town on 128, involved a commercial motor vehicle colliding with a pickup truck, and that the road was shut down for close to ten hours for the investigation. Valeriano said he was not aware of alcohol being a factor in the collision. He added, “With the hours people work in the oilfield, it’s just hard to say, because these folks are nonstop. It seems like you’ve got a morning rush and a night rush. Right now, it’s very busy. Here in the last two or three weeks, we’ve been seeing some very heavy traffic there on Kansas and 18, Kansas and Third, even Wyoming St through town. Definitely, they’re seeing more accidents out west. I know the ambulance and fire have been busy. It seems like every other day, they’re going out to a crash.” Valeriano said, “Most of the time, the county works [the accidents] on the police officer side, but our ambulance and fire respond to those.” As soon as The Jal Record hears back from the state police, we will share that information with our readers.