1 killed, 14 injured after SUV crashes into Savers store in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – One person was killed and 14 others were injured when a vehicle crashed into a Savers store on 2340 N. Main St. in Las Cruces on Tuesday morning, according to the Las Cruces Police Department.
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Investigators learned a 2015 Ford Explorer crashed through the glass and aluminum façade near the self-checkout area and veered right as it passed through the store. Police said the vehicle came to a rest near the southeast corner of the store.
A 69-year-old woman was behind the wheel and was not injured. Preliminary information from the investigation indicates the driver mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake as she pulled into a parking space in front of the store. The vehicle jumped the curb and crashed through the façade, according to police.
Officials identified the individual who died in the crash as 67-year-old Pamela Kaye Nelson. Nelson was among 10 people who were taken to the hospital; however, she died from her injuries. The five others who were injured were assessed on scene by fire personnel and refused transportation to medical facilities.
The ages of the injured range from approximately 30 years to 90 years, police said. Two of the injured were employees of Savers, and 13 were customers. Police said that they later learned that the driver of the Ford Explorer went to a local hospital on her own accord.
Access to the parking lot immediately in front of the Savers store will temporarily be blocked while the investigation is ongoing. The store is closed for the time being.
First responders arrived at the scene shortly before 10 a.m.
