On Saturday, January 28, around 7:00 pm, a fatal crash involving three vehicles took the life of Melinda Kay Shaw, age 58, of Melrose, New Mexico. Five people were also injured in the accident. The incident happened northeast of Lovington at the intersection of Prairieview Road and US Highway 82. New Mexico State Police (NMSP) responded to the accident.
According to a press release issued by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, a 2016 Ford truck traveling north on Prairieview Road and driven “by a 46-year-old female” stopped at Prairieview’s intersection with US 82. “For reasons still under investigation the Ford attempted to cross US 82 and was struck by a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe that was driving southwest on US Highway 82. A 2018 Ford Escape that was traveling southwest on US 82 behind the Tahoe then also collided with the Ford truck.”
Injured in the accident were the driver of the Ford truck and a female passenger, age 10. Both were airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, TX. Their conditions are unknown. The deceased, Melinda Shaw, was also a passenger in the Ford truck. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by the Office of the Medical Investigator.
The press release also states, “The 41-year-old male driver of the Chevy Tahoe, the 38-year-old female driver of the Escape, and the 12-year-old male passenger in the Escape were all transported to an area hospital for injuries and then later transported to a hospital in Lubbock, TX. Their condition is unknown.”
NMSP are conducting an ongoing investigation of the accident. Their investigation suggests that all individuals involved in the crash were wearing seatbelts and that alcohol was not a factor.
According to a post on the EMS Region III Facebook page, Shaw was the Projects and Events Coordinator for New Mexico’s EMS Regions I and III. EMS Region III Board President James R. Williams states about the death of Shaw, “The family, staff, and Board are deeply appreciative of the love and support that has been shown during this difficult time.”
