They say that you never truly appreciate how big the United States is until you visit here and travel by car. The land area of the contiguous United States is greater than the land area of Europe, excluding the European part of Russia. Yes, the Northeast corridor is compact; you can drive from Washington, D.C. to Boston, or even farther into New England, in a single day if you are a seasoned road trip traveler. Most of the true vastness lies west of the Mississippi, and despite the astronomical prices of gasoline and almost everything else these days, a road trip through the Western U.S. remains on many people’s bucket lists.
Canada, especially the western part, has its share of wide-open spaces, but the southwestern desert is sufficiently majestic that many of our northern neighbors consider it worthwhile to make the long trip to see it. Something else you might not realize until you make an interstate road trip is how state laws differ from one state to another. This means that, if you are involved in a car accident in New Mexico, then New Mexico law governs any insurance claims and legal actions that you might pursue relating to the accident. If you got injured in a car accident in New Mexico while visiting from another country, contact a Santa Fe car accident lawyer.
Canadian Woman Dies After Highway Collision in Curry County
At about 7:00 in the morning one day in August 2026, a woman from Melrose was driving a blue Ram pickup truck in the eastbound lanes of Highway 60/84 in Melrose County. A white Mitsubishi was behind the pickup truck in the same lane and collided with the rear of the pickup truck. The collision caused the pickup truck to roll over, landing by the side of the road.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the driver of the pickup truck and both occupants of the Mitsubishi seriously injured. The passenger in the rear seat of the Mitsubishi, a 67-year-old woman from British Columbia, died at the scene of the accident. The drivers of both vehicles were taken to nearby hospitals, and when news reports about the accident were published, their injuries were considered non-life-threatening. The driver of the pickup truck is a 38-year-old woman, and the driver of the Mitsubishi is a 44-year-old man.
Many details remain unclear about the accident. For example, the News Channel 10 website did not say why the Mitsubishi struck the rear of the pickup truck. It could have been because the Mitsubishi was going too fast or because the pickup truck slowed down unexpectedly, with or without a justifiable reason. The news report also did not say which of the vehicle occupants, if any of them, were wearing seatbelts or whether either driver was under the influence of alcohol.
Contact Slate Stern About Car Accident Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured in car accidents in New Mexico. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
https://www.newschannel10.com/2026/08/12/1-dead-2-injured-after-crash-highway-6084-curry-county
Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash