Water-tanker driver allegedly intoxicated when he injured fellow construction worker
The driver of a water tanker truck was intoxicated when he caused an accident that sent a fellow construction worker to the hospital, Las Cruces police said.
Edward A. Sanchez, 56, was allegedly driving the tanker under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he pulled up behind a front-end loader Tuesday afternoon at the construction site of the new Walmart near Lohman Avenue and Sonoma Ranch Boulevard.
According to court documents obtained by the ABC-7 I-Team, a 36-year-old construction worker was riding on the side of the tanker and was pinned between the two vehicles. He was flown to UMC in El Paso for treatment with leg injuries. Police described his injury as “serious.”
A construction manager on site told the New Mexico Mobile Newsroom on Wednesday that the man hurt has a broken femur and ankle.
The criminal complaint said Sanchez smelled of alcohol and admitted to drinking one beer. It also states his blood alcohol content was tested twice. His BAC was at .03 percent first and then .04 percent the second time. While the legal BAC limit to operate a passengers vehicle is .08 percent, the legal limit to operate a commercial vehicle is .04 percent.
Sanchez was charged with driving under the influence causing great bodily harm, driving on expired tags, driving without insurance and driving with restrictions.
The on-site manager did not know if Sanchez allegedly drank on or off site. He said Sanchez had no prior incidents that he knew of adding that no other incidents have happened on the construction site.
