Albuquerque woman dies in I-25 single-car rollover

Belen

An Albuquerque woman on her way home from El Paso lost her life Wednesday in a single vehicle roll-over accident on Interstate 25 near Belen.

Anna M. Hermosillo, 62, was pronounced dead on the scene and her husband, Julio Garcia Gonzales, 66, is currently listed in satisfactory condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

Valencia County Deputy Kelly Jones said the couple was driving home when the right rear tire of their 1995 Chevy S-10 blew out near Mile Marker 191. The deputy said Gonzales apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over.

“The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead on scene,” Jones said. “She was found about 37 feet from where the vehicle finally came to a rest.”

According to Jones, the Albuquerque couple were driving north in the right-hand lane when the tire blew. He said the driver lost control of the vehicle, left the road and slid onto the shoulder.

As the truck veered back towards the right-hand lane of the interstate, it flipped over once and skidded on its roof for several feet before coming to a stop. Jones said Hermosillo would have celebrated her 63rd birthday two days after the accident.

“I can’t say for sure if she was wearing her seatbelt,” Jones said. “I don’t believe she was, but if she was wearing it, she wasn’t wearing it properly. Sometimes we find that people put the shoulder strap underneath their arm. The whole reason why the seatbelt should go over the shoulder is to keep you in, and people don’t realize that.”

Gonzales, who was wearing his seatbelt, was airlifted by Lifeguard helicopter to the Albuquerque hospital for treatment. Jones said he had been listed in critical condition for the first two days before his condition improved.

Witnesses at the scene who stopped to help the couple reportedly told the deputy that the truck was going the speed limit. Jones said alcohol was not a factor in the accident and no charges will be filed.

Belen

An Albuquerque woman on her way home from El Paso lost her life Wednesday in a single vehicle roll-over accident on Interstate 25 near Belen.

Anna M. Hermosillo, 62, was pronounced dead on the scene and her husband, Julio Garcia Gonzales, 66, is currently listed in satisfactory condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

Valencia County Deputy Kelly Jones said the couple was driving home when the right rear tire of their 1995 Chevy S-10 blew out near Mile Marker 191. The deputy said Gonzales apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over.

“The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead on scene,” Jones said. “She was found about 37 feet from where the vehicle finally came to a rest.”

According to Jones, the Albuquerque couple were driving north in the right-hand lane when the tire blew. He said the driver lost control of the vehicle, left the road and slid onto the shoulder.

As the truck veered back towards the right-hand lane of the interstate, it flipped over once and skidded on its roof for several feet before coming to a stop. Jones said Hermosillo would have celebrated her 63rd birthday two days after the accident.

“I can’t say for sure if she was wearing her seatbelt,” Jones said. “I don’t believe she was, but if she was wearing it, she wasn’t wearing it properly. Sometimes we find that people put the shoulder strap underneath their arm. The whole reason why the seatbelt should go over the shoulder is to keep you in, and people don’t realize that.”

Gonzales, who was wearing his seatbelt, was airlifted by Lifeguard helicopter to the Albuquerque hospital for treatment. Jones said he had been listed in critical condition for the first two days before his condition improved.

Witnesses at the scene who stopped to help the couple reportedly told the deputy that the truck was going the speed limit. Jones said alcohol was not a factor in the accident and no charges will be filed.