The Sunday morning single-vehicle crash that closed a portion of Solano Drive sent three teenagers to area hospitals.
About 4:20 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the crash that occurred near 130 north Solano Drive. Officers arrived to find a 2007 Infinity that crashed into a brick wall on the east side of Solano. The 17-year-old driver and his 16-year-old brother, who was the front-seat passenger, were both transported to University Medical Center of El Paso. The 17-year-old boy, who was the backseat passenger, later self-admitted to a local hospital.
The 16-year-old received severe injuries to a hand and was the most critically injured of the three. He and the driver were not properly utilizing seatbelts.
Traffic investigators learned the Infinity was traveling south on Solano Drive at a high rate of speed. The driver of the Infinity may have been attempting to race another vehicle. Investigators believe the driver began to lose control of the vehicle near Ridgetop Avenue. The car crossed into the northbound lanes of traffic, jumped the curb, crashed into a brick wall and through a tree near 130 N. Solano Dr.
A 24-year-old woman, who happened to be walking by at the time of the crash, is credited with providing initial first aid and possibly saving the life of the 16-year-old boy. The driver and passenger of another vehicle also stopped and rendered aid before police and fire personnel arrived.
Debris from the brick wall damaged at least three vehicles that were parked at 130 N. Solano Dr.
The two brothers are from Albuquerque but have recently been living in Las Cruces. The Infinity was being operated on a temporary and expired license plate. Excessive speed was a contributing factor in the crash, which is still under investigation. Citations are pending.
A portion of Solano Drive was closed for several hours while Traffic investigators diagrammed the scene.