Bernalillo County, NM — January 8, 2026, a pedestrian was killed in a dump truck accident at about 9 a.m. on Interstate 40.

Authorities said a dump truck was headed west when it hit a pedestrian near the Zuzax exit.

The pedestrian, a man whose name has not been made public yet, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

No other injuries were reported.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Bernalillo County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When someone hears that a pedestrian was killed in a dump truck crash on the side of a highway, a natural first question is: How does something like that happen? After all, pedestrians aren’t typically walking along the interstate, and dump trucks aren’t usually swerving around for no reason. So what went wrong?

At this point, it’s not clear whether the pedestrian was walking along the shoulder, trying to cross the highway or if their vehicle had broken down and they were on foot as a result. Each of those scenarios raises a different set of legal questions. For example, if the pedestrian was in the roadway, investigators need to determine if they were visible and whether the driver had time to react. On the other hand, if the pedestrian was well off the roadway and the truck veered toward them, that could point to a failure by the driver to maintain control of the vehicle.

It’s also unclear what the dump truck was doing at the time of the crash. Was it merging, changing lanes or simply driving in a straight line? Was the driver distracted? Was speed a factor? These are not idle questions. They are the starting points for any serious investigation.

One of the first places an investigator would look for answers is the truck’s electronic control module (ECM), also known as the black box. It can show the vehicle’s speed, braking and steering inputs in the moments before impact. Cell phone records and in-cab camera footage, if available, could show whether the driver was paying attention or dealing with some kind of distraction.

The driver’s qualifications and company policies also deserve scrutiny. I’ve handled cases where a trucking company put someone behind the wheel who never should’ve been driving a commercial vehicle in the first place; drivers with a history of firings, poor training, or a record of safety violations. Those aren’t just background details. They often turn out to be central to understanding how and why these crashes happen.

The sad truth is, in cases like this, it's easy for key facts to go unexamined unless someone takes the initiative to demand answers. The initial report leaves a lot of crucial details out, and until those gaps are filled, we’re left with more questions than clarity.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not clear whether the pedestrian was on or off the roadway when they were hit, which affects how responsibility is assessed.
• The dump truck’s black box, cell phone records and any in-cab video could help determine whether the driver was distracted or failed to react in time.
• Investigators should also examine the driver’s qualifications and the employer’s hiring and training practices.
• Early reports often omit crucial facts. Thorough independent investigation is key to getting the full story.
• Identifying what went wrong is essential not just for accountability but for making sure similar crashes don’t happen again.