Española Public Safety Chief Julian Gonzales blamed a nagging cold for a fender-bender he allegedly caused Jan. 8 when he ran a red light.
Marilyn Miera, 45, of Alcalde was making a left turn from Paseo de Oñate to North Riverside Drive when Gonzales, driving north on Riverside Drive, failed to stop at the red light, Española Police officer Ernie Romero wrote in a report. That caused Miera to crash into Gonzales’s police unit with her white Ford truck, the report states.
Gonzales reported the incident, according to 911 dispatch logs. Gonzales, Miera, and the two occupants of Miera’s vehicle were not injured, the report states.
Gonzales confirmed Monday he had been cited for running the light. He added, however, that he was not completely sure whether he had actually run the red light because he felt foggy-headed from a two-week-long cold.
“Was it red completely?” Gonzales said. “I couldn’t tell you.”
The crash damaged the front bumper and fender of Miera’s truck and the back left door and panel of the Police Department unit Gonzales was driving, according to the report. Acting City Manager Veronica Albina said the city has obtained quotes for the damage, but she was not sure whether paperwork had been forwarded to the city’s insurance company.
Gonzales took a sobriety test after the incident, which came back negative, Albin said. Fire Chief John Kitchen conducted the test, she said.
Gonzales did not mention the crash Monday evening at a meeting of the Española City Council’s Public Safety Committee, where he provided an update on a camera system designed to automatically nab drivers who run red lights. Gonzales has endorsed the system.
Asked what he would tell the community in light of the incident, Gonzales said, “If you are sick, stay home.”
From a press release
Single-lane closures on the Fairview Bridge in Española between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. will last for approximately two weeks starting Monday.
During the closures, state Highway Department crews will complete routine bridge maintenance and repairs. For more information, call 827-9567 or www.nmroads.com.
From a press release
United States Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) plans to visit Tierra Amarilla Saturday to meet with business and community leaders to discuss the local economy and economic development.
The meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at the Chama School District’s administration building. It is open to the public.
This event was previously schedule for Dec. 22, but was cancelled due to inclement weather.