Police mum on deadly crash

Witnesses thought pursuit was involved

A computer-aided dispatch report of a fatal crash in Albuquerque’s West Side three weeks ago indicates witnesses thought a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office vehicle was chasing a car when it crashed, killing two inside the vehicle and critically injuring the driver.

Albuquerque police, who are investigating the crash, have refused to identify the deceased, discuss the report — which is a log of emergency communications from the time of the crash — or provide any additional information about it.

Felicia Romero, a spokeswoman, said the sheriff’s office is doing an internal inquiry into the crash but “at this time the incident is not considered to have been a pursuit.”

On May 3, a car and a truck were in a collision near Atrisco and Western Trail NW, according to police. Both of the wrecked vehicles landed on the northwest side of the street.

A memorial of flowers and a picture of three women has since been placed at the intersection.

The afternoon of the crash, Albuquerque officer Daren DeAguero said a car T-boned a truck. Two passengers in the car died and the driver was critically injured. The driver of the truck suffered nonlife-threatening injuries, he said. Police shut down streets for several hours while they investigated the wreck.

DeAguero said speed appeared to be a factor.

Two minutes after the crash happened, a witness called 911.

“Caller advised BSCO chasing vehicle No. 2, vehicle No. 2 hit vehicle No. 1 and fled, unknown direction of travel,” the dispatch report states.

Amy Lopez, who was driving near the crash and witnessed it, said she first saw law enforcement emergency lights before a car sped by her and crashed into the truck.

“I just stayed minding my own business (after I saw emergency lights) when a car flew by, hit a truck and that car flew and wrapped itself around a tree,” she said.

She said events unfolded quickly.

“The car was going so fast I don’t know where it came from,” she said. “I didn’t hear sirens. I saw the lights.”

The dispatch report said Albuquerque police and marked and unmarked sheriff’s office vehicles were on scene within minutes.

A photograph taken after the crash showed a sheriff’s deputy remove a handgun from the scene of the wreck.

ADOLPHE PIERRE-LOUIS/JOURNAL Flowers and a photograph of three women make up a memorial that has been set up at the site of a deadly May 3 crash. Albuquerque police haven’t released any additional details about the wreck, including who was killed.