Police say speeding race led to fatal NM 528 crash near Corrales Road

A red-light launch at NM 528 and Northern Boulevard turned deadly when police say two cars accelerated hard, one vehicle spun out and rolled multiple times, and Noah C. De Baca, 25, of Albuquerque, was killed at the scene near Corrales Road.

Rio Rancho police say the crash happened about 9:15 a.m. on April 4 at NM 528 and Corrales Road and involved two passenger vehicles in the initial impact. Investigators say De Baca’s car lost control after the vehicles had been stopped at the light, then continued north before striking another driver who was turning left from southbound NM 528. De Baca’s vehicle rolled over and came to rest on its passenger side in the dirt shoulder near the Speedway. His passenger was taken to a hospital with injuries.

Police documents also say a fourth driver, who was not directly involved in the collision, admitted to racing De Baca before the wreck. A witness told investigators the two cars appeared to be racing, and witnesses reportedly believed they were traveling more than 100 mph. One of the vehicles remained on the roadway after the impact, while the other rolled into the Speedway area. Debris from the crash struck a third vehicle, causing minor damage, though no one inside was hurt.

The new details sharpen the account of a crash that already closed the NM 528 and Corrales Road area while investigators worked the scene. They also point to an earlier warning that same morning. Police had stopped De Baca on NM 528 for speeding in a construction zone earlier on April 4, then let him go with a warning.

The behavior described in the report fits a state prohibition on racing, drag racing and acceleration contests on highways without permission. It also lands on a corridor that state and local officials have already singled out for traffic and safety evaluation. The New Mexico Department of Transportation says it is coordinating those evaluations along NM 528, US 550 and surrounding roads.

The crash has quickly become part of a broader public alarm over Highway 528 in Rio Rancho, where residents have been pressing for urgent fixes after repeated crashes and fatalities. By the weekend after the wreck, a small memorial had appeared near the Speedway corner, a quiet sign of how fast one violent morning on a busy corridor became a local symbol of grief and anger.