Mario Montes, 46, Dies Following Early-Morning Commercial Truck Collision Near Jal, New Mexico
Mario Montes, 46, of Sanford, North Carolina, died following a commercial truck collision shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Montes was traveling in a Peterbilt carrying flammable materials on New Mexico Highway 128 in Lea County when a northbound Kenworth failed to stop at the Orla Road intersection and struck the Peterbilt.
The collision sent both trucks into a roadside ditch, where a blaze engulfed the vehicles.
Lea County deputies arrived at approximately 1:47 a.m. and found Montes and Kenworth driver Luis Diaz Mederos, 34, of Alton, Texas, deceased nearby.
Jal emergency crews extinguished the blaze as authorities began examining the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
Early reports identified the missed stop as a central factor, while the Lea County Sheriff’s Office continued its inquiry and requested information at 575-396-3611.
Montes leaves behind a community mourning a life lost during an overnight journey.
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