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Albuquerque car enthusiast dies after Sunday's I-40 crash; no charges have been filed, police say
New Mexico State Police investigate a fatal crash involving a 1958 Chevrolet Impala and a semi-truck on Interstate 40 at Rio Grande NW on Sunday.
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An Albuquerque man known for his extensive involvement in the lowriding community has died after a multi-vehicle crash Sunday morning.
Cecil Barreras, 61, of Albuquerque, was killed when his 1958 Chevrolet Impala crashed into a semi-truck on Interstate 40.
No one has been charged and the incident is under investigation, New Mexico State Police spokesperson Amanda Richards said in an email.
At 7:57 a.m. Sunday, New Mexico State Police responded to a call of a multi-vehicle crash on westbound I-40 at Rio Grande NW, she said.
A 2022 Nissan was “traveling at a high rate of speed” when the driver crashed into a jersey barrier, Richards said.
While a witness was helping the driver of the Nissan, she said, Barreras suddenly hit his brakes, slid under a semi-truck, then his Impala caught fire.
Barreras was taken to a local hospital where he died that evening, Richards said.
“He was a major part of the lowrider community,” Melissa Barreras, Barreras’ daughter, said in an online fundraiser for his funeral expenses. “He helped so many people with cars, money even the shirt off his back if you asked him for it. He was the best part of our lives. He is deeply missed.”
On social media, there has been an outpouring of support for Cecil Barreras with comments ranging from prayers to how much Cecil Barreras loved cars.
