Driver in fatal I-25 crash indicted for vehicular homicide

Dec. 19--LAS CRUCES -- The driver in a single-vehicle crash that killed a 24-year-old woman in February was indicted last week by a Doña Ana County grand jury, court record show.

Adam Spaulding, 24, of the 2300 block of Stern Drive, was charged with vehicular homicide, a third-degree felony, aggravated DUI and other traffic violations, including reckless driving no seatbelts and no insurance, according to an indictment filed Dec. 15 in 3rd Judicial District Court in Las Cruces.

The indictment alleges that Spaulding, then 23, had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 -- double the legal limit for anyone 21 years old or older -- when he crashed a white 2006 Honda Civic into a concrete barrier on Interstate 25 in Las Cruces on Feb. 28.

The crash occurred around 5 a.m. in a construction zone near mile marker 2.

Spaulding and his sister, Jessica Sanchez, were traveling from a nightclub in El Paso, police said. Sanchez, who was in the passenger seat, was found unconscious and later died from internal injuries, according to an incident report from New Mexico State Police.

The 24-year-old mother of two was pronounced dead at 6:36 a.m. at University Medical Center in El Paso, where she was airlifted after the crash, the report said.

Spaulding also suffered severe injuries, police said, and was unable to give a complete statement to investigators after the crash. He also was unable to perform field sobriety tests because of his injuries.

According to the indictment, Spaulding "allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the evening." Also, one police officer who responded to the crash said he was able to "detect an odor of intoxicating beverage" coming from Spaulding's month, according to the incident report.

Court records indicate that Spaulding has not been arrested.

If convicted as charged, Spaulding faces up to six years in prison for the third-degree felony and 180 days behind bars for the DUI and reckless driving charges, according to the 3rd Judicial District Attorney's Office.

He has been scheduled to appear for arraignment on Jan. 6 in 3rd Judicial District Court.

Carlos Andres López can be reached 575-541-5453, [email protected] or @carlopez_los on Twitter.

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