Almost any type of accident that can result in a fender bender with property damage only can also be a catastrophic accident with fatalities or severe injuries if a few of the details are different. For example, a rear-end collision at a red light could simply dent the bumper of the struck vehicle, or it could propel the struck vehicle into the intersection, where another car could strike it. Hitting the curb could be a rookie mistake that would just give you a good scare before you continued your drive, or it could cause your car to overturn.
Some scenarios, however, are almost always bad news. For example, it is rare to walk away from a head-on collision without requiring hospitalization, even if you were wearing a seatbelt, the airbags deployed, and the cars involved were traveling within the speed limit. Likewise, getting ejected from a vehicle is not simply a fun story to tell at parties, even if it happened in a land of raconteurs like Florida or Texas. Likewise, when a driver leaves the scene of an accident, it is usually because the accident was bad and the at-fault driver fears getting criminal penalties. If you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident, contact a Santa Fe car accident lawyer.
Driver Fled the Scene on Foot After Vehicle Overturned and Ejected Passenger
In the middle of the night in March 2025, Nick Ronnie Armenta was driving his Toyota Tacoma on North Stone Road in Pecos County. For reasons still under investigation, he lost control of the car and ended up in a single-vehicle accident. His car overturned, and the passenger, Manuel Driver Garcia, was ejected and suffered fatal injuries. Garcia was not wearing a seatbelt, but Armenta presumably was. Garcia was 35 years old.
Armenta fled the scene on foot, and police arrested him the next day. He is facing criminal charges for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and for failing to seek medical assistance for an injured person after an accident. He also faces misdemeanor charges for illegal possession of a weapon.
Your Rights if You Were a Passenger in the Car of the At-Fault Driver
If you get injured when you are a passenger riding in the car of the person who caused the accident, you have the right to file a claim with the at-fault driver’s liability insurance company. The at-fault driver’s insurance may not be enough to cover all your accident-related medical expenses, though, especially if your injuries were serious or if there were multiple people injured in the accident. If you have medical payments insurance (MedPay), you can file a claim for the unpaid portion of your medical bills with your MedPay insurance. If you cannot get enough money through insurance, you can even file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or any other parties that contributed to the accident.
Contact Slate Stern About Personal Injury Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured as a result of car accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
https://www.firstalert7.com/2025/03/22/texas-dps-searching-suspect-after-fatal-hit-run-pecos