Officials: Alcohol May Be Factor In Fatal U.S. 70 Crash

Alcohol may be to blame in a deadly crash north of Las Cruces Friday night that temporarily shut down U.S. Highway 70.

New Mexico State Police say 42-year-old Manuel Campos and 28-year-old Robert Walters were both from Las Cruces. Investigators say 28-year-old Ruben Espinoza of Alamogordo was headed west on U.S. 70 when his car rear-ended Walters’ pickup truck.

The impact forced both vehicles across the median, where they slammed into another pickup and a semi headed in the opposite direction, according to authorities.

Campos was driving that second pickup; he and Walters died at the scene.

Campos’ 10-year-old son was taken to University Medical Center in El Paso where he was in stable condition, according to officials.

New Mexico State Police say the driver of the semi was not seriously hurt and was also in stable condition.

Espinoza, the man who allegedly caused the chain reaction, is in critical condition at UMC, and investigators are still trying to determine why he left his lane.