Photos show violent crash that killed Bernalillo County deputy

Newly released photos make the fatal crash that killed Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Schlattman starkly visible: a patrol vehicle twisted and mangled on the shoulder of Interstate 40 near Carnuel after a semi-truck struck it during a traffic stop. The images add a concrete record to a case that has already become one of the county’s most painful recent losses, showing the force of the collision and the danger officers face when they work just off fast-moving highway lanes.

Schlattman was conducting the stop in February when the truck hit his vehicle, pinning him beneath the wreckage. He later died from his injuries. The case is moving through the courts, with authorities charging the driver, Miguel Orlando Perez, with careless driving and failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. Perez is scheduled to appear before a judge at the end of the month.

The crash investigation was handled by Rio Rancho police to avoid a conflict of interest, and investigators determined there was probable cause to charge Perez before sending the case to the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Multiple reports say Perez holds a valid Florida Class A commercial driver’s license, and investigators said he was traveling about 64 miles per hour and did not apply the brakes before the collision. Those details put a sharper focus on how commercial vehicles are monitored on New Mexico highways and how quickly a routine roadside stop can turn deadly.

The case also puts the state’s move-over law back in the spotlight. Under New Mexico law, drivers approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle with flashing lights must change lanes or slow down and proceed with caution. That requirement is central to the allegation that Perez failed to yield, and it speaks directly to the risks local deputies and state officers face on corridors such as I-40, where traffic moves fast and shoulders can offer little protection.

Schlattman had deep ties to Bernalillo County law enforcement. He joined the Sheriff’s Office on April 16, 2012, was promoted to sergeant on July 13, 2024, and previously worked in Special Investigations and Auto Theft. He also served as a task force officer with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. At his memorial service, he would have turned 53.

The Sheriff’s Office asked the public for support and prayers after the line-of-duty death, and hundreds attended Schlattman’s memorial service. The nonprofit Ten-82 collected donations for his fiancée and family, while a memorial was also set up at the BCSO East Area Command in Tijeras. For Bernalillo County, the photos do more than document a crash. They keep attention on the enforcement of highway safety rules, the accountability of commercial drivers, and the hazards that local deputies still face on everyday traffic stops.