Albuquerque –
At 4:40 PM, the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue were dispatched to I-40 Eastbound (EB) at the Big I for a crash. NM Roads reports that the crash is at mile marker 159. When APD and AFR arrived, they purportedly found at least three vehicles involved in a crash. One person died at the scene.
APD and Police Service Aides (PSAs) are blocking traffic on I-40 EB at 6th Street, so traffic can’t get on the interstate. All of I-40 eastbound is being closed at this time. From what we can ascertain, the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) is going to investigate this fatal crash. However at the time of this posting, the NMSP are presently not on scene.**
If we learn more, we will update you. You can also check NM Roads for crash updates, and live views of the NM DOT cams.
For anyone stuck on I-40, please do not obstruct the shoulder as this prevents APD and any other emergency personnel from reaching the accident scene.
**UPDATE:**
At 6:35 PM, the NMSP posted on X that:
I-40 all eastbound lanes closed at milepost 159 near the Big I for a fatal crash. Please avoid the area. For the latest road conditions check http://NMRoads.com. – https://x.com/NMStatePolice/status/1837289396648956422
As of this update, traffic backs up to Rio Grande Blvd.
UPDATE 2:
As of 7:20 PM, authorities still haven’t reopened I-40 EB from the Big-I to 4th St. Fatal crash investigations can take many hours, as police have to conduct interviews, gather evidence, and take photos of the scene.
It does appear that the NMSP and APD are diverting traffic off of interstate 40 at exit 159A.
We have posted photos the latest camera views from the NM DOT cams below.
UPDATE 3:
The lanes of travel remained closed as of 7:45 PM. Wreckers have arrived to remove the totaled vehicles.
Readers told us that traffic is backed up to Coors, but the NM DOT camera at I-40 Eastbound and the Rio Grande River doesn’t show a major backup.
A source told us that one person died in the crash, but we don’t have more details yet, as police are likely notifying the family.
UPDATE 4:
As of 8:22 PM, only one wrecked vehicle is still at the scene, while the others have been cleared by wreckers. A wrecker has loaded the remaining vehicle onto its truck bed.
We will let you know when the interstate reopens.
UPDATE 5:
I-40 eastbound at the Big I has been reopened as of 8:35 PM.
What happened on I-25 South of ABQ to close the hwy Friday night?
Hello, so the only incident we are aware of, BCSO reported that there was a crash on I-25 southbound at the 215 involving a semi and a sedan. They posted on social media that the #2 lane would be closed, this was around 8:30PM. All lanes of travel were back open around 10:30 PM. Unfortunately, we do not know the details surrounding the accident.
[…] September 20, 2024, we informed you about a crash on I-40 eastbound near the Big I. Throughout the evening, we shared updates, including photos from the NM DOT cams, to keep […]
the girl who died was named Chamar Gallegos , 26 yo, who left behind a 4 yr old daughter. may she rest in peace and my condolences to the family