Icy roads blamed in crash
Chain-reaction accident closes Interstate 40 for nine hours

Icy conditions are being blamed for a double-fatality accident early Sunday morning on Interstate-40 on the overpass near Mile Marker 26. According to New Mexico State Police Lt. Darren Soland, the seven-vehicle accident occured at 6:13 a.m., when the driver of a west-bound SUV lost control of the vehicle on the overpass. The driver of a tractor-trailer traveling behind the SUV lost control of the semi when it attempted to avoid the SUV. Police believe the trailer of the semi-truck skidded along the guardrails between the two lanes of traffic. Once off the overpass, the truck's cab landed in the eastbound lane where it was struck head-on by another semi-truck. The trailer landed in the median, partially blocking the westbound lane. The drivers of both commerical vehicles were killed in the accident. A passenger in the west-bound truck was ejected from the cab. He was transported to an area hospital. His condition was unknown at presstime. An additional three commercial vehicles and one other passenger vehicle were involved. Three injuries were also reported. Additionally, hazardous material crews were on the scene to clean up about 200-300 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled on the highway because of ruptured fuel lines from the commercial trucks. East and west I-40 traffic was diverted along U.S. 66 until the scene was cleared by police. (Photo by Jeremy Schneider/Independent)

Independent Staff

GALLUP — Three people were killed and at least three others suffered minor injuries in a multi-vehicle crash on an icy Interstate 40 bridge, New Mexico state police said.

Norman Jeffrey, 54, of Beebe White, Ark., Mario D. Amore Jr., 48, of Elk Creek, Va., and Phillip John Chaky of Surprise, Ariz., died Sunday, said state police and the McKinley County Sheriff's Department.

Peter Marcus, 49, of Costa Mesa, Calif., lost control of his sport utility vehicle and struck a tractor-trailer rig driven by William Davidson, 60, of Taylorsville, Mich., state police Lt. Jimmy Glascock said. Another semi-truck, driven by Jeffrey, was also eastbound and struck yet another semi-truck and a passenger car as a result of the first accident.

Jeffery's rig continued across the median into the westbound lanes of the interstate and was struck by another truck. The drivers of both Jeffrey and Amore Jr. were killed in the crash.

A four-mile stretch of the highway near Gallup was closed for nearly nine hours Sunday morning while crews worked to extract the body of one of the victims and clean up the wreckage.

"It sounds like the accident was weather-related," Glascock said. "The bridge was covered with ice. One truck went into a skid, crossed the median into the eastbound lane and collided with a semi."

Injured in the accident were:

• Michael Moxley, 24, of Mt. Airy, N.C.;
  
  
• Sheila Davis, 46, or Riverside, Calif.;
  
  
• and Glenn Davis Sr., 50, also of Riverside.

Gallup resident James Hutchinson, 46, was also a victim of the accident but received no injuries.