Albuquerque, NM –
On 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 residents and stranded drivers informed about the closure.
When the accident occurred around 4:40 PM, the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded to the scene. APD and Police Service Aides started to block off all lanes of travel on I-40 eastbound (EB) and direct traffic from I-40 off to exit 159A. The crash involved multiple vehicles and resulted in one death. The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) later took over the fatal accident investigation.
This morning, the NMSP has released preliminary information from their investigation. The NMSP’s initial report says that Chamar Gallegos, 26, from Albuquerque, was driving a 2000 Honda Civic eastbound on I-40, heading toward the Big I to get on I-25 north. Traffic was slow in the area, but for unknown reasons, Gallegos didn’t slow down and hit the back of a 2019 GMC SUV. This set off a chain reaction with three other vehicles.
The NMSP said Gallegos, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt correctly, was seriously injured and later died at a local hospital. Five vehicles were involved, but no one else was hurt. Alcohol is not believed to have caused the crash.
Authorities closed the eastbound lanes of I-40 for about four hours, from 4:40 PM to 8:35 PM. The NMSP is investigating this fatal crash.
If we learn more information, we will update you.
You can read about our initial coverage of the crash here: https://abqraw.com/post/fatal-crash-on-i-40-eastbound-at-big-i/
Note to ABQ RAW Readers
This morning, Facebook flagged our post about yesterday’s fatal crash as spam and deleted it. This is the second post about traffic crashes Facebook has deleted. Facebook deleted our September 12th story about the crash on I-40 westbound at University. We updated this story throughout the day to assist commuters in avoiding traffic congestion and delays.
ABQ RAW is simply trying to keep Albuquerque residents informed about traffic accidents, police activity, and other ongoing incidents.
In the last two weeks, Facebook has flagged and deleted at least seven other stories that we have written about and subsequently posted to Facebook. We are concerned and frustrated about the censorship of our content, particularly when it comes to matters of public safety and community interests.
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Thank you. I was trying to refer to the closer of 1-25 Southbound between Albuquerque and the Broadway exit on Friday night around 9:00pm. Southbound drivers had to us HWY 47 to go south.
You guys gottaale an app like all the other news channels have.
**gotta make**
What about texting and driving, WAS that a factor?