A 10-year-old girl was killed in an early Saturday morning rollover crash on the interstate possibly caused by another car street racing, according to Albuquerque police.
Xavier Nelson, 22, the driver of the car that is believed to have initiated the crash, was arrested and charged with reckless driving resulting in death, according to a criminal complaint provided by police.
The crash happened around 12:30 a.m. on southbound Interstate 25 near Montaño, APD officer Simon Drobik said.
Multiple witnesses reported seeing two cars racing on southbound I-25 at speeds between 85 to 110 mph, he said.
It appears Nelson’s car hit the back of a sport-utility vehicle traveling in the center lane at normal speeds, both vehicles rolled, and the girl was ejected from the SUV, according the complaint.
She died at the scene.
Three other passengers in the same vehicle were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Drobik said the passengers taken to the hospital were the parents and sibling of the girl.
Police did not release the name of the victim.
While being searched after his arrest, officers found a bottle of unmarked prescription sedatives in Nelson’s pocket, according to the complaint. He is also being charged with the unlawful means of obtaining drugs.
Drobik said Nelson did not exhibit any signs of intoxication during the arrest.
