Strata of Imperilment

On 07 April 2023, a semi-truck traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 60 west of Mountainair, New Mexico struck an air-ambulance helicopter attempting to evacuate the victim of an earlier accident.

Initial reports ascribe the secondary mishap to failure of the 18-wheeler’s brakes.

New Mexico State Police set forth the incident involving the helicopter was precipitated by an antecedent accident in which a pickup truck traveling eastbound on Highway 60 collided with a westbound trailer near mile-marker 184 at approximately 07:00 MDT.

The ill-fated air-ambulance helicopter landed on the highway at approximately 08:30 for purpose of conveying the pickup truck’s injured driver to a local hospital.

At or about 08:50, a westbound semi-truck suffered a brake failure, drove through the roadblock surrounding the accident, and struck the helicopter’s main rotor.

By virtue of an improbable series of minor miracles, the secondary crash resulted in no injuries—excepting the damage incurred by the semi-truck and the helicopter respectively.

The pickup truck driver injured in the initial accident was transported to hospital by a road-going ambulance. Subject individual’s condition has yet to be disclosed.

I-60 remained closed for several hours while road-crews worked to clear the menagerie of damaged road-vehicles and aircraft from the thoroughfare’s westbound lanes. Traffic was detoured around the accident site via Highway 47.

Socorro County deputies continue to investigate the initial crash. The FAA states it will conduct no investigation insomuch as the helicopter was not in flight at the time of the accident.

The Valencia County New Mexico Fire Department, which also responded to the melee, stated: “an air ambulance sustained minor damage in a secondary crash at the [accident] site. The helicopter will need to be towed away from the scene according to authorities.”

FMI: https://co.valencia.nm.us