Lee Acres, NM — December 24, 2025, one person was killed and another person was injured in a truck accident on U.S. Highway 64.

Authorities said a passenger vehicle and a commercial vehicle were involved in crash while heading east near County Road 5500.

One person died in the crash, while another was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, according to authorities. It is not clear how they were involved in the crash at this time.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the San Juan County crash near McGee Park.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a commercial vehicle and a passenger car collide, especially with deadly results, the immediate questions that come to mind are: How did this happen, and why? We know someone lost their life and another was hurt, but we don’t yet know the most important part: what chain of events led to that outcome?

Based on what's been reported, both vehicles were traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 64 near County Road 5500. That tells us this likely wasn’t a head-on crash, which raises several possibilities, none of which we can confirm without further detail. Did one vehicle rear-end the other? Did a lane change go wrong? Could cargo have shifted or spilled? Without knowing who hit whom, or why, there’s a lot we still need to uncover.

At this stage, investigators should already be preserving critical evidence. For the commercial truck, that starts with pulling the engine control module (ECM) data, which will show the vehicle’s speed, braking and steering inputs in the moments leading up to the crash. If the truck was equipped with in-cab cameras or GPS tracking, those records can help clarify whether the driver was distracted, fatigued or otherwise impaired.

Another key piece is the truck driver’s background. Was this someone with a clean record, or someone with a history of preventable wrecks? In one case I handled, a driver had been fired from multiple companies before being hired by the one whose truck ultimately caused the crash. That company had no meaningful hiring standards, and by the time the dust settled, it was clear the company bore more blame than the driver did.

We also have to consider factors that may not be obvious from the outside. Was the truck improperly loaded? Did a mechanical failure play a role? Could the driver have been under pressure to meet a delivery deadline? These are questions that only a thorough investigation can answer. But what’s certain is that without gathering and examining that evidence, there’s no way to hold the right parties accountable.

When officials release only basic details — “two vehicles were involved, one person died” — it creates a void that only facts can fill. And in my experience, facts don’t just show up on their own. Someone has to go looking for them.

Key Takeaways:

• It's still unclear how the commercial truck and passenger vehicle collided or who caused the crash.
• ECM data, in-cab cameras and driver phone records are essential tools for reconstructing what happened.
• A driver’s history and the trucking company’s hiring practices can play a major role in these cases.
• Unanswered questions remain about vehicle movements, potential cargo issues and whether distraction or fatigue played a part.
• Real accountability depends on a full investigation, not assumptions or early reports.