Many New Mexican’s are aware of the somber holiday news regarding a New Mexico lawyer that was involved in an New Mexico car accident that left resulted in the death of a San Felipe man. The accident occurred near a Santa Fe bar and, according to news reports, occurred when the vehicle the lawyer was driving struck a pedestrian. Initially, the pedestrian was taken to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition, sadly, the man passed away, unable to survive his injuries.
As noted earlier, the attorney now faces both criminal and civil penalties. A sad, and legally unique aspect of the case surrounds the vehicle’s passenger, a state police officer who was also assigned to the governor’s security detail. New Mexico law is foggy on how to treat the conduct of a passenger who knowingly enters a vehicle with an intoxicated driver. How this translates into criminal and civil legal action against the passenger will be interesting to follow.