28-year-old who crashed speeding car into concrete barrier is El Paso’s 70th, final traffic death of 2020

UPDATE, Jan. 1: A 28-year-old El Paso man, who police say lost control of his speeding car and crashed into a concrete barrier, was the final traffic fatality of 2020 in the city.

Police said Friday that Francisco Grajeda died late Thursday night at University Medical Center, making him the 70th traffic death to close out the year.

Investigators wrote in a report that "Grajeda was traveling east in the center lane of Loop 375 at a high rate of speed. Grajeda was unable to make the mandatory turn onto Executive Center. Grajeda's vehicle continued eastbound, crossing the center lane median before colliding head-on with a concrete barrier."

Traffic deaths in El Paso dropped by just one from the prior year; 2019 saw 71 fatalities on local roads.

ORIGINAL REPORT, Dec. 31: EL PASO, Texas -- A traffic crash with serious injuries was reported late New Year's Eve along the Executive Center overpass to Loop 375 in west El Paso.

Investigators were summoned to the scene just before 10 p.m. for what appeared to be a car that crashed head-on into a concrete barrier.

Police said the Interstate 10 east exit to Executive was shut down due to the crash; access to Loop 375 was not impacted.

Authorities didn't immediately indicate how many people were in the vehicle that crashed, but at least one was seriously hurt.

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