UNMH pediatric nurse killed in hit-and-run crash

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that UNMH CEO Kate Becker released the statement on Montoya's death

Alec Montoya worked as a pediatric emergency nurse at University of New Mexico Hospital for roughly three years, specializing in helping children and teenagers.

The 28-year-old had a knack for making every patient feel comfortable during times of distress, UNMH CEO Kate Becker said in a statement.

That all came to an end Thursday evening when Montoya set out across Lomas NE toward the hospital. Police said Brian Boyce was speeding east on Lomas and struck Montoya, killing him.

The 42-year-old initially stopped and sought treatment at the hospital — but left soon after.

Boyce was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center and charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in death. Boyce does not have an attorney assigned to his case.

Boyce was released on his own recognizance during a pretrial detention hearing Friday.

As Montoya’s colleagues and loved ones reel from his death, Ramirez said Montoya’s kindness and passion would also be missed by young people seeking care at UNMH.

“(Montoya) was much more than an incredible nurse — he was truly a wonderful person,” Becker said. “His kindness, dedication and steady presence touched everyone he met... His patients are better for having been cared for by him.”

Police were sent to Stanford and Lomas around 6:45 p.m. after a caller reported that a person had been struck by a car, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Officers arrived and found Montoya lying in the street.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

UNM police obtained security camera footage that showed Boyce’s vehicle “traveling at a high rate of speed” on Lomas, the complaint states. Boyce’s vehicle could be seen in the footage hitting Montoya before he stopped and got out of the vehicle.

Officers reported that the vehicle had damage to the front end and windshield.

Boyce had stopped near the scene and requested to be taken to a hospital because there was glass in his eye. Shortly after, Boyce “became angry and left the hospital on foot,” police wrote in the complaint.

Officers went to an address associated with Boyce in Northwest Albuquerque and watched as the vehicle parked in the garage, the complaint states. Officers spoke to the driver — Boyce’s girlfriend — who told police Boyce called her and asked to be picked up at a gas station near Edith and Montaño.

The woman told police she picked up Boyce, who was shirtless and he said “something happened” but did not give her further details, according to the complaint. She told police that when she pulled into the driveway, Boyce said “oh (expletive) pull into the garage.”

Police spoke to Boyce and he said he wanted to be taken to the hospital again for a medical evaluation, the complaint states. Boyce was taken to the hospital and booked into jail after.

Becker said Montoya received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the UNM College of Nursing in 2023 and got a job at UNMH shortly after. For three years, Montoya was a friend to colleagues and patients alike, Ramirez said.

When he joined UNMH, Montoya was featured in a story on graduates and said how excited he was to become a nurse at the hospital. He added that the job was very rewarding.

“It’s a great place to have a good influence on a lot of kids and save lives,” Montoya said at the time. “I’m excited, and I hope to have a career in pediatrics — I’d really like that to be my specialty.

“I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I just strive to be positive and to always learn from my environment. There’s always something new to learn.”