Police: Man killed in suspected DWI crash

A man was killed and two people injured in a wreck late Friday caused by a driver who officers believe was intoxicated, Albuquerque police said.

APD spokesman Fred Duran said that firefighters were dispatched to a crash involving a sedan and a pickup on Louisiana near Interstate 40 just before midnight. Investigators believe that the driver of the southbound pickup truck ran a red light, striking the sedan’s driver’s side.

The driver of the pickup was acting strangely and officers “suspected he was under the influence of an unknown substance,” Duran said. The driver, who sustained minor injuries in the wreck, fled from officers twice and managed to escape from the back of a police car.

“Speed and intoxication are believed to be contributing factors to the crash,” Duran said.

The sedan was carrying two adults and a child. The man driving the sedan was pinned inside and had to be cut out, Duran said. He was transported to a local hospital where he died. The second adult and the child were both hospitalized.

Duran did not identify the driver of the truck, but said that he is on probation for felony charges. He said the results of blood tests will determine whether he was intoxicated at the time of the wreck.

The identity of the man killed has not been released, pending notification of next of kin, Duran said.

As officers investigated the deadly crash, a suspected drunken driver drove through the scene, Duran said.

Michael Thrall, 39, drove past officers who were blocking the I-40 on ramp at Louisiana.

“This driver disregarded all orders to stop and continued through the scene of the crash,” Duran said.

Police stopped the vehicle nearby and noticed that Thrall showed signs of intoxication. He was arrested on a DWI charge, Duran said.