ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A massive tribute to one of Marvel Comic’s most prominent superheroes came crashing down on a truck in downtown Albuquerque Monday. The more than ten foot tall Iron Man metal sculpture landed on the roof of a truck around 1 p.m. in what appeared to be a two vehicle crash.
It happened at 4th Street and Lomas, near Albuquerque’s three major courthouse buildings. The sculpture sits on the Sunwest Silver Company’s corner lot and is held up with several metal cables bolted into the concrete.
A KRQE News 13 photographer captured video of the sculpture resting on the top of a silver-grey truck. One of the sculpture’s hands appeared to have gone through the truck’s window.
The giant comic and cartoon inspired metal sculptures at Sunwest Silver Co. have been a fixture at the jewelry business for the last two years. In 2021, the business showcased two Transformers (Optimus Prime and Grimlock) with the hope of promoting contemporary art and the downtown scene.
“I think its important to invest in downtown artistically,” said Sunwest Silver employee Michael Turano in a 2021 interview with KRQE News 13 about the sculptures. “Otherwise, you’re going to see metro-areas all across the nation bland, cookie-cutter.”
It’s unclear what caused Monday’s crash or exactly how many people were involved. No one appeared to be seriously injured, but two trucks appeared to have extensive damage including a City of Albuquerque Park Management vehicle. The city-owned truck had extensive front end damage, while the grey truck had damage on the passenger side.
The sculpture is made of scrap metal, including loads of old car parts. Photos shared on social media show its towering size. There’s no word on what the owners plan to do with the sculpture next.
