Hip-hop artist Wake Self dies in Santa Fe crash
The driver of the other vehicle has been charged with DWI
SANTA FE — Albuquerque hip-hop artist Andrew Martinez, 30, who performed as Wake Self, died after a Sunday night car crash in Santa Fe caused by a driver now charged with aggravated DWI and other counts.
Wake Self was to perform at a pre-release party for his latest album “Ready to Live” on Thursday night at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. In the car that Martinez was driving and seriously injured in the crash was Kevin Allende, 28, of Santa Fe. An artist by that name has painted murals at Santa Fe High School and around the state.
News of Martinez’s death drew a strong reaction from fans and others.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller tweeted, “With the passing of Wake Self, ABQ lost a powerful voice. His music was about resilience and respect for young people, elders, and women — and his legacy won’t be forgotten. We’re thinking of his family & friends today, and those he touched with his music.” Meow Wolf also paid tribute. “Our hearts pour out to the family and friends of Andrew Martinez (@WakeSelf),” said a Meow Wolf tweet. “… Andrew was a monumental force of positivity in the hiphop scene and one of Meow Wolf’s most frequent performers. His energy will forever reverberate within the walls of our venue.”
Wake Self’s previous album, 2016’s “Malala,” featured a photo of Pakistani activist and Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai on the cover.
On Tuesday, Santa Fe Police Department spokesman Greg Gurule confirmed that Martinez had died at University of New Mexico Hospital.
According to a Santa Fe police report, a witness said he saw a black truck traveling west on West Alameda in the eastbound lane at about 60 mph about 10 p.m. Sunday. About 30 seconds later, he “observed the lights to the black truck pop up into the air as if the truck hit something.”
Martinez and Allende were still trapped in a silver sedan when police got to the scene on Alameda near Camino Alire.
The driver of the truck, later identified as 24-year-old Diego Pichardo, was lying in the street. All three men were taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. There, Pichardo told an officer that he was coming from work at the Bull Ring restaurant.
“As I was speaking with Mr. Pichardo, I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Pichardo,” the report says. “I also noticed Mr. Pichardo’s eyes were bloodshot and watery.”
Pichardo said he had nothing to drink that night. When asked why he smelled like alcohol, he replied “because he works in the industry,” the report says. The officer was able to get blood drawn from Pichardo via a search warrant to test his blood alcohol content.
In addition to DWI, Pichardo is charged with two counts of causing great bodily harm by vehicle and driving on a revoked license.
Pichardo has a history of DWI arrests. He was arrested for DWI in Albuquerque in December 2017 after an officer saw him driving 10 mph under the speed limit and crossing over the white line. He was arrested for performing poorly on field sobriety tests. The case was dismissed without prejudice in January, court records show.