Farmington officer fatally hits man lying in Broadway roadway

A Farmington police patrol vehicle struck and killed Ernest Begay, 46, while officers searched for a suspect near Broadway and Butler, turning an early-morning search into a fatal crash now under investigation by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.

Farmington police said Officer Jasmine Hernandez hit Begay about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, April 14, 2026, as she drove west on Broadway. The department said officers had been in the area making contact with a group of people when one person fled on a bicycle, prompting officers to look for that person. Police said Begay was lying in the roadway and appeared to be incapacitated when Hernandez’s patrol vehicle struck him.

The department said Hernandez’s vehicle was the only vehicle involved in the crash and that she has been placed on administrative assignment. Police also said Hernandez’s emergency lights were not activated at the time of the collision. Surveillance video released by the department reportedly showed Begay in the roadway and showed another officer nearly striking him before swerving away.

The crash has raised immediate questions about how officers were driving during the search and what warning equipment was being used as they moved through the Broadway corridor. Farmington police have not said whether dashcam or body camera video is part of the investigation, and officials have not explained why officers first stopped to speak with the group or why they were searching for the bicyclist.

Broadway was closed from North Butler Avenue to North Scott Avenue after the crash and did not reopen until 7:09 a.m. Tuesday. The investigation is being led by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.

Farmington police said they extended condolences to Begay’s family and would provide updates as available. The department, which says it is internationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, says it is committed to maintaining high standards of integrity and service.