One dead, three hurt in crash near San Jon

A Texan man died and three others suffered injuries in a two-vehicle collision Friday night south of San Jon.

Anthony Gonzales, 53, of Hereford, Texas, was declared dead at the scene by the Office of Medical Examiner.

According to New Mexico State Police public information officer Lt. Philip Vargas, Gonzales was driving his pickup truck north at milepost 23 of Highway 469 about 9:20 p.m. Friday when it inexplicably crossed the center line.

Gonzales’ truck collided with a southbound pickup truck carrying three occupants.

The three injured people were taken to area hospitals, Vargas said.

Vargas said Gonzales wasn’t wearing a seatbelt during the crash.

Jim Chacon, who lives about a half-mile south of San Jon, told the Quay County Sun the crash occurred about 400 yards from his house. He said he heard the crash through an open window of his residence.

He said a nurse who was driving on the highway at the time helped the injured.

Chacon said one of the trucks came to rest upside-down, and he encountered one of the injured people walking on the road, appearing dazed.

“It was quite a shocking thing to have that serious of an accident so close to my house,” Chacon said.

Chacon said police blocked access to Highway 469 as they tended to the victims and investigated the crash.