Toddler dies after car crash

A 3-year-old boy died following a head-on collision Monday on U.S. 285 about 10 miles south of Ojo Caliente, a Rio Arriba County Sheriff ’s Office spokesman said.

According to Maj. Randy Sanches, the boy — who had been in a car seat — was riding in a vehicle with a woman around 2:30 p.m. Monday. The woman’s vehicle strayed into oncoming traffic, causing the driver of a Dodge Challenger traveling in the opposite direction to swerve left, trying to avoid it, Sanches said. However, he said, the woman and the man driving the Challenger corrected at the same time, and the vehicles collided head-on.

An off-duty nurse passing by the scene stopped and performed CPR on the boy, who was then taken to Presbyterian Española Hospital, Sanchez said. Hospital staff were able to temporarily reestablish the boy’s vital signs and he was flown to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque.

The child died Wednesday morning, Sanches said. He did not release the boy’s name.

The female driver was treated for injuries at Presbyterian Española Hospital, Sanches said, adding he was unsure if she had been released.

The man driving the Challenger, a Tennessee resident, suffered more severe injuries and was flown to UNM Hospital, Sanches said. The man had a second surgery Thursday morning and was expected to survive, Sanches said.

Area residents said U.S. 285 was shut down in both directions for four to five hours after the crash.

Investigators have not determined the cause, and no one has been arrested or charged.

“We’re looking at everything from cellphone usage to vehicle problems,” Sanches said, adding there were no immediate signs that drugs or alcohol might have been a factor in the crash.

Both vehicles were extensively damaged, Sanches said.