NM accidental deaths rank #1

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Year after year New Mexico is at or near the top of list for accidental deaths per capita. We're talking drug overdoses, falling down stairs, any kind of accident you can imagine. But some of them are odd.

The office of the medical investigator determines the causes of death for more than a thousand people every year.

“New Mexico leads the nation in both injury death and unintentional injury deaths,” State Epidemiologist, Dr. Michael Landen, said.

Last year the office of the medical investigator handled more than 15 hundred accidental deaths.

“For drug overdose we are looking at 500 a year for motor vehicle deaths and falls we are looking at about 300 a year,” said Landen.

So why does New Mexico rank so high?

“There are probably many reasons but two that stand out are high rates of poverty and significant problems of substance abuse in New Mexico,” said Landen.

But some of the deaths have more unexpected causes. Last year one person died after being kicked in the chest by a horse. Another after being kicked in the head by a buffalo. Another after riding their wheelchair into a refrigerator.
    
Another person was crushed by a falling tree and another New Mexican passed away after a motorcycle that was up on a stand fell down on his head. There was also a death caused from a mine explosion. These types of deaths are rare.

Landen says bringing down the high numbers of drug overdoses, falls and accidents could move New Mexico out of the top spot. Something everyone would like to see.

About 400 of the 1500 people who died accidentally last year had alcohol in their system.