Sierra County, NM — July 18, 2024, Adrian Alejandro Cruz and another trucker were killed due to a semi-truck accident at around 10:50 p.m. on I-25.

The New Mexico State Police said that the incident took place south of Truth or Consequences near Caballa.

It appears that Adrian Alejandro Cruz of El Paso, Texas, was in a semi-truck going southbound along the interstate. From the northbound lanes, another semi-truck reportedly hit an elk, and the truck lost control. It traveled through the median barrier and into southbound lanes where it crashed head-on with Cruz's truck. As a result, both Cruz and the other truck driver were killed.

Right now, no additional details are unavailable.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Folks may not think there would be anything to discuss, since it seems a wild animal caused all of this. However, investigations into accidents like this can be more complex than people realize. The law doesn't have some rule where just because someone hits an animal, everything else surrounding the accident is a wash. The law is also concerned with the behaviors surrounding that incident and whether or not they were reasonable.

That's why extensive accident reconstructions are important. If, for example, investigators find that a reasonably prudent professional also would have lost control after hitting the elk, then it's very like this all was just unavoidable. That's a very unfortunate but common scenario. In some situations, though, it comes to light that an over-correction or over-reaction to the situation caused the truck to lose control. Or, sometimes a preexisting maintenance issue led to a mechanical failure which a truck kept in good repair wouldn't have experienced during the initial collision with the animal. That, too, could show that the crash actually could have been avoided despite the unpredictable nature of the animal entering the roadway.

Ultimately, my point here is that there should be clear answers after a fatal wreck. Just because there might seem to be an obvious explanation doesn't mean it's okay to jump to conclusions and ignore the evidence. Likely or not, it's important to consider all possible factors surrounding the accident, even if it's just to rule them out. Right now, it's unclear if any steps are being taken in that direction.