Around 11:30 pm on June 30th, Albuquerque Police dispatch began to receive calls about a collision that occurred involving three vehicles. The accident resulted in one death and left two others injured.
The accident occurred at the intersection of Coors and Montano when a man, identified as Jesus Sandoval-Martinez, driving a 2008 Dodge Dakota pickup traveling at a high rate of speed ran a red light while heading north on Coors.
Just before the accident occurred, a black 2021 Tesla was at the intersection waiting to turn south onto Coors. Next to the Tesla, a Toyota Corolla was waiting to continue westbound on Montano. When their light turned green, both the Tesla and the Toyota entered the intersection. This is when Sandovaol-Martinez ran the red light and collided with the Tesla on the driver’s side, and also impacted the rear driver’s side of the Toyota.
When emergency responders arrived on the scene they transported the Tesla driver and passenger, who were both critically injured, to UNMH. The driver of the Tesla died from their injuries in the hospital, and the passenger remains in critical condition. The driver of the Toyota sustained only minor injuries in the crash.
Police were able to obtain real-time camera footage of Sandoval-Martinez operating the 2008 Dodge Dakota pickup and traveling at a high rate of speed heading north on Coors. Eyewitnesses also verified they saw Sandoval-Martinez run the red light at the intersection of Coors and Montano.
After the collision bystanders and witnesses saw Martinez flee the scene on foot, however, several witnesses were able to detain him until police arrived. According to reports, Martinez was slurring his words and looked to be impaired. When police searched his pickup they found several open alcoholic containers.
An investigator interviewed Martinez after the crash, using a translator. Martinez admitted in the interview that he had consumed two Corona beers and fled the scene out of fear. The investigator identified several signs of impairment such as bloodshot eyes, a strong odor of alcohol, and slurred speech. He also performed poorly on the sobriety tests conducted and was not in possession of a valid driver’s license.
A warrant for a blood draw was granted and the draw was executed, MArtinex was booked around 7 am July 1st. He was charged with two counts of Homicide by Vehicle (DWI), Reckless Driving, and more.
Avenues of Legal Recourse For Victims and Families Involved
Accidents such as the one that occurred in Albuquerque on June 1st, can be devastating, not only emotionally, but financially and physically as well.
“Our hearts go out to the families who lost their loved ones and the victims who were injured in this accident,” says Brian Colón, attorney at Singleton Schreiber, “as a personal injury attorney who has represented families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers I’ve seen the catastrophic toll an accident like this can take on all those involved and their families. It is important that the victims of this accident and their families know they may have legal recourse, and could consider contacting a personal injury attorney to learn more about their options for legal recourse.”
Families and victims of this accident may be able to file claims for compensation to help them recover after this devastating accident. Claims they may be able to file include:
- Wrongful Death Claim: this will allow the family to obtain compensation for costs associated with funeral and burial costs, income their loved one would have otherwise provided for them had they not died, and any medical costs from life-saving treatment they may have received before death.
- Personal Injury Claim: this will allow victims to obtain compensation for property damage, lost income, medical bills, medical treatment, pain and suffering, and more.
If you lost a loved one or have been injured in a DWI accident, you may have grounds for compensation. To learn more about the options available to you, contact Singleton Schreiber today by calling (505) 605-2076 or emailing info@singletonschreiber.com.
