Written by Officer Ray Wilson 05/09/2022
Bernalillo County, NM – On May 7, 2022, at around 5:00 p.m., the New Mexico State Police investigated a fatal crash on Interstate 40 near Unser in Bernalillo County.
The initial investigation indicated that a 2016 Peterbilt tractor trailer and a 2016 KIA Sportage were stopped in traffic for construction on eastbound Interstate 40 near milepost 154. For unknown reasons, a 2019 Peterbilt tractor trailer that was also traveling east on Interstate 40 did not stop for traffic and collided with the rear of the stopped Peterbilt, pushing it into the KIA. The driver of the Peterbilt that didn’t stop, Praxides Pelegrin, 57, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased by the Office of the Medical Investigator. The driver of the stopped Peterbilt was transported for what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, and the driver and passenger in the KIA were not injured.
Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor in the crash and seatbelts appear to have been properly worn in all vehicles. This crash is under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.
