Dianna Duran (Courtesy New Mexico Secretary of State's Office)
A man walking along N.M. 599 was killed after being struck by multiple drivers, including one of the secondary vehicles to hit the man was Secretary of State Dianna Duran.
The first item in the “Local briefs” section (CLICK HERE) is what we had for Friday’s print edition, but that does not have confirmation of Duran’s involvement. Here is my full update for Friday’s website.
Police have not yet released the name of the man killed and no criminal charges have been filed. Duran, who did not return telephone messages left by The New Mexican on Friday night (nor would Chief of Staff Ken Ortiz), released the following statement this morning:
My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim who lost his life Thursday evening on Highway 599 and Camino La Tierra.
This past evening at approximately 7:30 while driving home from work, my car was apparently one of multiple vehicles to pass over what appeared to be an animal that had been struck in the middle of the right lane of Highway 599.
We later learned that what I believed to have been an animal was in fact the body of someone who had been hit a few minutes before while crossing the highway.
I am sure other drivers have been just as shocked and saddened as I have been to learn what had actually taken place in this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with the family for this tragic loss of life.
Duran was apparently waved down a couple miles down the road by another motorist who informed her she hit a pedestrian. Police say either her or that motorist called police and Duran remained there until an officer arrived. She as “grief stricken” when she learned the news, Capt. Aric Wheeler said.
Police say she was fully cooperative and her blue Honda Accord is now in police custody as are several other vehicles.
Here is the full story with the latest details on The New Mexican‘s website:
Great Scott!! How gruesome. It is incredibly dark out there at night, no place for pedestrians and unsafe to have your car break down. I got to the area just as officers blocked the road so I luckily didn’t see any of this.
Apparently, the scene and victim were still present this morning in the 7am hour (wife saw it).
[...] to Geoff Gramer of the Santa Fe New Mexican, “The man has not yet been identified and no criminal charges have been [...]
[...] to Geoff Gramer of the Santa Fe New Mexican, “The man has not yet been identified and no criminal charges have been [...]
[...] New Mexico Secretary of State Deanna Duran’s Honda is impounded by police after she rolls over a pedestrian outside Santa Fe. Santa Fe New Mexican crime reporter Geoff Grammer has more on his Crime Blog. [...]