Passenger becomes focus in deadly crash

SANTA FE (KRQE) - Santa Fe police said blood test results from the passenger in a deadly wrong way crash could still be used in a criminal case.

Last week, Santa Fe police said Kylene Holmes was behind the wheel of a car speeding south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 25 before slamming head-on into an oncoming ambulance.

Police believe Holmes was under the influence of alcohol. Holmes was killed. Her passenger, Jennifer Belvin, was sitting in the passenger seat and was seriously injured.

The driver of the ambulance suffered two broken legs.

That night police filed a search warrant for a blood test from Belvin just in case it turned out she was the driver. A week later and police say the results of that test could be used against her.

Santa Fe Police Chief Aric Wheeler said they will discuss with the district attorney the possibility of charging Belvin because they believe she knew her friend was drinking before the head-on crash.

According to a search warrant, Belvin also told police Holmes had been smoking pot earlier that day. She doesn't specify how much earlier.

Police are trying to figure how much and where the women drank that night.

Detectives said the investigation shows about an hour before the crash the two women were at Cowgirl BBQ where they had at least one drink each. The bouncer even offered to get a cab for them, but they refused.

Wheeler said the bouncer called 911 at 1:35 a.m. and said the two women were getting into their car drunk.

“There was actually a disagreement between them as to who should drive,” Wheeler said. “So obviously there was a discussion as to who was more impaired and who should be driving.”

The blood test results from both women aren't back yet.

Police haven't said what Belvin could be charged with. However, there have been several cases in recent years where passengers riding with drunken drivers in fatal crashes have been charged with vehicular homicide.