ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – New Mexico State Police investigated a body that was found in a car after a driver drove away from a traffic stop and crashed.
On Tuesday, a Mazda fled eastbound on US 550 from a traffic stop. He only made it a mile before crashing into an SUV. Police then found a body in the fleeing vehicle. Originally, police had believed the body was dead prior to the crash. This investigation caused Highway 550 eastbound to be completely blocked for hours.
Police say that the driver and passenger that fled from the traffic stop were taken into custody on Tuesday. Police have identified the driver as Anthony Lucero, 29, from Isleta, New Mexico.
Police identified the body as Monica Papuyo, Lucero’s mother. Authorities performed an autopsy and confirmed that Papuyo received injuries from the crash and died from those crash-related injuries.
Officials say Lucero confessed to driving while intoxicated throughout the day. He was booked at the Sandoval County Detention Center and is charged with homicide by vehicle, aggravated fourth offense DWI, aggravated fleeing from an officer, driving while license is revoked, and roadways laned for traffic. Lucero has prior DWI arrests and a history of fleeing from police.
