Family and friends mourn loss of three teenagers killed in weekend crash
CHAPARRAL, New Mexico -- A makeshift memorial was created at the intersection where two separate crashes happened over the weekend, resulting in the death of three teenagers and injuring multiple others.
New Mexico State Police say a 16-year-old driver ran a stop sign while driving on Steve drive and hit a truck traveling on Angelina boulevard. The driver, an 18-year-old passenger, and another 15-year-old passenger died at the scene. Police say none of them were wearing their seatbelts.
“It is the worst pain in the world as a mother. I can not explain the pain," Claudia Ontiveros said. She says her son was the driver of the car. She identified him as Daniel Rivera and the 18-year-old man as his best friend, Alan Rey.
Friends and family lit candles and placed old photos of the victims at the memorial. Rivera was about to turn 17 years old on November 10.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Rivera and Rey to cover the costs of funeral services.
Two days after the tragedy, another car crash happened in the exact same intersection. Two cars collided and sustained extensive damage, but the extent of injuries is unknown.
Isabel Barraza, a Chaparral resident, says the lack of street lights in the town makes it dangerous on the roadway.
“We need lights. We need lights here in this town. We really do, because there is so much danger," Barraza explained. She said it could be possible that Rivera did not see the stop sign that night because of the lack of light.
“Why he ran that stop, I do not know. Was he mad? I do not know," Ontiveros said.
ABC-7 reached out to Otero County Commissioner Gerald Matherly, who oversees district 1, which houses that part of Chaparral. Our newsroom asked Matherly if there were any discussions to change the design of that intersection after the two recent crashes.
Matherly said in an email that if there were to be a change, "the Commission would have to vote on it." A follow-up email about the street lights did not receive a response.
