1 dies in crash after chase in Albuquerque New Mexico

A motorcycle crash on Paseo del Norte left a woman dead and the driver critically injured late Thursday.The passenger was identified by authorities as Luz Ponce-Martinez, 31, who died at the University of New Mexico Hospital after the motorcycle driven by 34-year-old Aragon Sigifredo crashed into the back of a Ford pickup truck, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said.A Sheriff’s Office news release said that Sigifredo was at UNMH in critical condition, and that the driver and passenger of the pickup truck were also taken to the hospital.According to the release, a deputy first noticed the group of motorcyclists on Coors Boulevard when one of the motorcycles was missing a license plate.The officer tried to pull the driver over, the release said, but the group quickly turned onto Paseo del Norte and disappeared. The officer “disengaged his emergency equipment” but then saw the crash scene east of the river and assisted, the release saidThe Sheriff’s Office said that it was not an active pursuit, but that speed was a factor in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office 2005 Standard Operating Procedures state that officers can only pursue vehicles if the offender is committing a violent felony, or if the officer thinks the offender is a “clear and immediate threat to the safety of … the public.”