Taos man charged with vehicular homicide

Victoria Traxler, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·2 min read

Nov. 10—A Taos man faces criminal charges in a fatal crash in early October that took the life of 43-year-old prosecutor Julia Downs.

Downs was killed around 3 p.m. Oct. 5 on U.S. 64 when her 2012 Volvo station wagon was rear-ended by a 1999 Ford Expedition driven by Frank McAleer, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Taos County Magistrate Court.

McAleer, 72, was charged Monday with vehicular homicide by the Taos County Sheriff's Office after investigators determined he had been speeding and was driving without a valid license in an unregistered car without insurance, the affidavit said.

The Taos man told deputies he did not see brake lights in front of him and that he had consumed "a bowl" of marijuana before the crash. He was airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital and treated for injuries, the affidavit said.

Downs had recently started a job as a prosecutor with the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office, The Taos News reported.

Taos County sheriff's deputies determined McAleer had crashed into Downs as she was stopped on the highway to turn left into a private driveway, the affidavit said. McAleer had been driving at least 80 mph in a portion of the highway where the posted speed limit was 55 mph. There were no signs of skid marks or breaking, the affidavit said.

McAleer's driver's license had been suspended or expired since 2007, the Ford SUV was not insured, the registration had not been transferred to McAleer's name and it had expired in 2019, according to the affidavit.

In addition to vehicular homicide, McAleer faces several misdemeanors for the traffic violations, including reckless driving and speeding.

Court records show McAleer was charged with no proof of insurance or driver's license and failing to wear a seat belt in 2013. In 2016, he was charged with driving with an expired driver's license, expired registration and no proof of insurance.

Downs' death came just four months after her partner, Karl Jurisson, was gunned down outside a home in Albuquerque, according to the Gun Violence Archive and Taos Community Foundation.