TATUM, N.M. — Authorities in Lea County are investigating a fatal rollover crash that claimed the life of a Texas man on Wednesday morning.
According to the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a field in the 100 block of James Road in Tatum, New Mexico, around 8:40 a.m. on April 30 after receiving reports of an overturned vehicle found in a pasture.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered a white 1997 Chevrolet Silverado lying on its roof. The driver, identified as Regino Luevana, 72, of Morton, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initial investigation suggest the vehicle was traveling south on Highway 206 when it veered off the roadway near mile marker 22. The truck broke through a barbed wire fence and traveled approximately 0.6 miles southwest before turning west for an extra mile and a half.
The pickup then hit a pile of mesquite wood, causing the vehicle to go airborne roughly 82 feet. The car rolled several times before coming to a stop.
Investigators confirmed that Luevana was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected during the crash.
The Lea County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Division is leading the investigation, and no further details are available at this time.
Subscribe to the LIVE! Daily
Required
Post a comment to this article here: