Driver of stolen SUV dies in collision

| The New Mexican

1/8/2009 - 1/9/09

An unidentified woman driving a stolen sport-utility vehicle died Thursday morning in a crash with a six-ton truck south of Santa Fe after fleeing from a state police officer.

The officer was monitoring speeds on Interstate 25 about 9 a.m. from a spot near the intersection of N.M. 14 and N.M. 599 when he spotted the stolen 1995 Ford Explorer with Texas license plates, said Peter Olson, state police spokesman. The officer turned on his lights in an attempt to pull over the Explorer, Olson said, but the driver turned onto N.M. 599 and fled.

The SUV then turned onto a frontage road and tried to pass a slower car on a sharp curve in the road, Olson said. Instead, she slammed head-on into the truck, which was carrying a crane and was in the area because of work on the Rail Runner Express commuter train project, he said.

Crews took an hour to cut the woman out of the wreckage, Olson said, but she died upon arrival at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. The truck driver and a passenger were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, according to a news release.

The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-20s, had not been identified as of Thursday afternoon, Olson said.

The owner of the Explorer, who lives in an apartment in the 200 block of Camino Alire, reported the vehicle stolen about 7:45 a.m., Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Johnson said. The owner had started the car and left the engine running to warm it up while she got her children ready to leave, he said.