The
driver suspected of causing the Feb. 2 crash on Spruce Avenue that killed a
26-year-old woman has been indicted on a felony count of vehicular homicide.
Michael
Nathan Trujillo, 27, of the 1800 block of Anita Drive, is charged with one
count of homicide by vehicle and one count of causing great bodily injury by
vehicle. Both counts are third-degree felonies. He’s also charged with reckless
driving, speeding, running a red light and not properly using a seat belt.
The
crash occurred about 2:15 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, and resulted in the death of
26-year-old Naomi Brandi Flores of Las Cruces. Preliminary information from the
investigation indicates that Flores was a backseat passenger in a 1995
Chevrolet pickup that was traveling north along Walnut Street. All indications
point that the Chevy pickup had a green light at Spruce and was continuing
north through the intersection where Walnut turns into Kilmer Street.
Las
Cruces police investigators believe a 2012 Ford pickup, driven by Trujillo, was
traveling east on Spruce at a high-rate of speed and failed to stop at the red
light. The Ford pickup struck the rear quarter panel of the Chevy pickup at the
intersection.
Investigators
determined that Trujillo’s pickup was traveling approximately 80 miles per hour
when it entered the intersection of Spruce and Walnut Street. The speed limit
in that area of Spruce Avenue is 35 miles per hour. The vehicle’s speed was
confirmed by a CDR, the Crash Data Retrieval device, used to collect data from
most modern vehicles. The device also confirmed that Trujillo was not wearing a
seat belt.
Flores
and the driver of the Chevy pickup were both ejected from the vehicle. Traffic
investigators believe Flores and the driver of the Chevy pickup were not
wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. Flores was critically injured and
rushed to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Trujillo was
not seriously injured and refused medical attention. A 24-year-old woman who
was also a passenger in the Chevy pickup was not seriously injured.
The
case was presented to a grand jury on April 11 and the indictment was handed
down the same day. A criminal summons has been issued for Trujillo to appear in
court.