RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, N.M. – One man is dead and another is facing charges after a hit-and-run crash involving a van and a commercial vehicle.
On March 29, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers responded to a fatal crash involving a suspected impaired driver who fled the scene on New Mexico Highway 550, near milepost 106.
According to a news release from the NMSP, at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, the New Mexico State Police received a report from an employer expressing concern that an employee was operating a company vehicle, a 2022 GMC 2500, while possibly under the influence of alcohol and may be headed towards Farmington, N.M. While responding to this call, NMSP said its officers received updated information, where units were redirected to a crash involving an overturned commercial vehicle on New Mexico Highway 550 near milepost 106.
An off-duty Texas police officer witnessed the crash and reported that a second vehicle fled the scene. The off-duty officer stopped to render aid to the driver of the overturned vehicle.
The driver of the commercial vehicle, identified as 55-year-old Jasper Bunny of Farmington, sustained serious injuries. He was transported by helicopter to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to the NMSP release.
The fleeing driver, identified as 34-year-old Crescencio Castro Baldazo, was located a short distance away near milepost 103. Police say citizens at the scene prevented him from leaving and reported that he appeared to be intoxicated.
Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that Castro Baldazo was the same individual previously reported by his employer for suspected impaired driving.
Castro Baldazo was taken into custody, booked into the Rio Arriba Detention Center, and is charged with the following:
• Homicide by Vehicle (Driving While Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Any Drug)
• Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Great Bodily Harm or Death)
• Failure to Maintain Traffic Lane
• Careless Driving
• Open Container
This case remains under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
