FireRescue 1 Staff
BERNALILLO, N.M. — A New Mexico fire chief was killed Monday morning in a highway in a highway collision with another car.
Sandoval County Fire Chief Jon Tibbetts was struck by a vehicle that careened back into traffic after crashing into a concrete barrier.
The collision caused Chief Tibbetts’ car to flip from the northbound side of the highway to the south. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Armando Saenz, 22, was driving the car that struck Chief Tibbett’s vehicle, according to KOAT7. After the accident Saenz was taken to the hospital, but it’s unclear how badly he was injured. Investigators are still working to figure out how Saenz drove into the barrier.
Chief Tibbetts, the only fire chief Sandoval County ever had, had served for eight years.
A memorial service is planned for Friday afternoon.