New Mexico State University basketball player Emery D. Coleman II was recently charged with third-degree felony homicide using a motor vehicle in connection with the January 2012 traffic death of 85-year-old Clarence G. Boulanger in Alamogordo. According to the Alamogordo Department of Public Safety (ADPS), Coleman was texting behind the wheel at the time of the fatal crash. The 19-year-old was released on an unsecured $5,000 bond until his preliminary hearing is held at the end of January.
According to ADPS Captain Israel Trujillo, Coleman was charged more than one year after the crash in large part due to the amount of time it took to get an accident reconstruction team from the New Mexico State Police in Santa Fe to investigate the collision. Additional time was also reportedly required for the reconstruction team to complete and file an accident report. A Spokesperson for the New Mexico State Police, Lieutenant Robert E. McDonald stated it is not uncommon for investigations to take several weeks. In the Coleman case, an accident reconstruction team was allegedly unavailable for more than six months.
ADPS Detective Dusty L. Collins said the reconstruction team determined that Coleman was headed south on White Sands Boulevard in a Dodge pick-up truck when he struck the driver’s side of Boulanger’s Chevrolet sedan as the elderly man crossed the roadway at a traffic light. Coleman allegedly told investigators that he was not speeding and his attempt to stop at the traffic light was unsuccessful.
Traffic wrecks are one of the leading causes of personal injury claims filed in the State of New Mexico every year. An accident can result whenever a distracted, impaired, inattentive, or reckless motorist travels on the roadways in our state. Automobile collisions may also result from hazardous road conditions, medical emergencies, motor vehicle defects, and a wide variety of other factors. The victim in a New Mexico car accident may be eligible to receive compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, disability, and more. In addition, the personal representative of someone who died in a traffic wreck may be entitled to recover damages pursuant to the New Mexico Wrongful Death Act. Contact a skilled attorney to discuss your rights in greater detail.
If you were harmed or a family member died in a crash that was caused by a distracted motorist, you should contact the Fine Law Firm. Our diligent Alamogordo wrongful death lawyers are available to help you receive the damages you deserve following a traffic wreck. At the Fine Law Firm, our knowledgeable attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience handling thousands of car, truck, motorcycle, and other injury accident cases throughout the State of New Mexico. To schedule a free confidential case evaluation, call the Fine Law Firm today at (505) 889-3463. You may also contact our experienced lawyers through the law firm’s website.
More Blog Posts:
Study Claims Obesity is Linked to Increased Traffic Deaths in New Mexico and Nationwide, New Mexico Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, January 22, 2013
Three Killed, Two Hurt in Head-On Truck Collision on I-40 Near Grants, New Mexico Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, January 15, 2013
Additional Resources:
ADPS releases accident report in Emery Coleman case, by Duane Barbati, Alamogordo Daily News