Crash on snowy I-40 kills APS principal

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The man who led one of the Albuquerque Public Schools alternative high schools for more than two decades died Sunday in a two-vehicle accident on snow-slicked Interstate near Gallup.

Felipe Perea, 60, had been principal of School on Wheels, a program that began as a way for dropouts to earn a general-equivalency diploma. Under Perea's 24-year leadership the program expanded to accommodate students trying to get high school diplomas while work and taking care of families, according to a statement from APS.

“Felipe Perea was a decisive leader with a sense of humor. He was passionate about education and determined to help his students succeed,” Superintendent Winston Brooks said in the statement. “He will be missed, but we’re confident his legacy will continue at the school he headed for more than two decades.”

The School on Wheels program now operates two campuses with a combined 150 students and 20 staff people.

Perea began his APS career in 1978 as a counselor at Albuquerque High School before moving to Valley High as a counselor and an area coordinator of student services.

According to the McKinley County Sheriff's Office Perea was headed west on I-40 about 15 miles east of Gallup when he apparently lost control of his Ford SUV shortly before 8 a.m. The Ford then spun into a Dodge Dakota parked off the roadway on the shoulder.

The investigating officer reported Perea's SUV took the full impact on its driver's side and then rolled over. He died at the scene, and five family members in his car were taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

Perea was wearing a seatbelt, and alcohol was not a factor in the crash, according to the report.

Two people in the Dodge escaped injury as did the driver who was standing outside and witnessed the collision.

The deputy investigating the crash reported I-40 was icy and covered with new-fallen snow. He estimated a safe speed for those conditions at no more than 20 mph.

The officer did not estimate Perea's speed before the crash but said he was driving too fast for the conditions.

Funeral arrangements for Perea are pending.