A vehicle crashed into the National Hispanic Cultural Center — and police believe it might have been intentional

A fast-moving car crashed through the front entrance of the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Friday, leaving two people who were in the vehicle injured and sparking a small fire.

Police speculate that the crash was intentional although an investigation is still underway, said Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos. The male driver was critically injured and transported to the hospital, he said.

The passenger, a woman, was minimally injured and also taken to the hospital, police said. No pedestrians were injured and the building was unoccupied except for one staff member who was on the other side of the building when the crash occurred, said Zack Quintero, acting director of the NHCC.

Children in the separate education building on the NHCC campus were unharmed and evacuated, he said.

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs said due to some damage to the Plaza Mayor and the Performing Arts Building, “The NHCC Campus will be closed this weekend. All programming and events have been canceled for Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, 2023.”

Police responded to a call about the crash at the center, located along Avenida Dolores Huerta/Avenida Cesar Chavez SW near Fourth in Barelas, at approximately 1:20 p.m. Shortly after, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Albuquerque Police Department officers and Albuquerque Fire Rescue firefighters arrived at the scene, Gallegos said.

AFR initially believed they were just responding to a tripped fire alarm call, said Lt. Jason Fejer. After arriving, they discovered the crash and that the fire had already been put out.

The car crashed through the front entrance making it approximately 12 feet into the building, Fejer said. The front entrance was severely damaged and, in order to tow the vehicle out of the building, AFR had to add wooden structural supports, Fejer said.

AFR found the passenger and driver injured inside the building. It is believed that they exited the vehicle after the crash and were not ejected.

The passenger later told police that, leading up to the crash, she and the driver had an altercation while driving. Afterward, the driver picked up speed and she told him that he was going too fast and needed to slow down, Gallegos said.

“We’re really fortunate that nobody else was injured,” Gallegos said. “Whether it was intentional or not, it was a really dangerous act.”

The good Samaritan who put out the fire with an extinguisher is believed to be a staff member, Fejer said, but their identity is unknown.

Nearby, at the Pop Fizz Paleteria, co-owner Lorenzo Alvarez was preparing to make more sweet treats when the crash occurred.

“That’s some Albu-crazy stuff,” he said.