Police: 5 Chicago Residents Die in New Mexico Highway Crash

Police: 5 Chicago Residents Die in New Mexico Highway Crash
A stock photo of police tape (Larry W. Smith/Getty Images)

VAUGHN, New Mexico—Five Chicago residents were killed when their vehicle rolled over on a New Mexico highway.

A New Mexico State Police statement says the accident occurred on U.S. Highway 54 near Vaughn around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Investigators say the 2005 Nissan Armada crossed the center line before the vehicle swerved back into the southbound lane and rolled.

Police say six passengers were ejected while the driver remained in the vehicle.

The driver and four passengers were pronounced dead at the scene in Guadalupe County.

Authorities identified the victims as 39-year-old driver Mayda Salazar, 41-year-old Fransisco Salazar, 17-year-old Daniel Salazar, 10-year-old Natalie Salazar, and 69-year-old Ramon Morales.

A 16-year-old male and a 21-year-old female, both of Chicago, sustained undisclosed injuries and were transported to a hospital.

Police say an investigation is ongoing.

4 Teens Dead, 1 Injured in Single-Car Crash in New York

In a similar crash two weeks ago, authorities say four people were killed and another was injured when a car full of teenagers crashed in western New York on July 27.

School district officials said three of the dead in the crash in the town of Burns were Dansville High School students, as was the injured person.

New York state police said a vehicle carrying five people ran a stop sign at a T intersection at 4:30 a.m. and crashed into an embankment and a tree.

The driver and three passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The fourth passenger was taken to a hospital in stable condition.

The survivor of the deadly crash was wearing a seat belt, and the others apparently were not, reported NewYorkUpstate.com.

The four teens who died were identified as Rebecca L. Earner, 16, who was the driver; Ambra E. Eddleton, 16; Justin D. Carpenter, 14; and Kyrstin L. Wolfanger, 14.

Kelsi A. Bird, 16, is the sole survivor of the accident. She was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester with multiple injuries.

Troopers described Bird’s injuries as non-life-threatening.

The accident is still under investigation. It’s not clear if drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash.

Other details about the case are not clear.

Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

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