A 30-year-old man died Sunday, two days after a bizarre accident near Chama in which a deer struck by a motorist hurtled through the air and landed on another vehicle — the one carrying Benardino “Ben” Archibeque.
Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella said during his time in law enforcement, he has seen plenty of collisions between wildlife and motor vehicles. “But I have never seen anything of this magnitude,” he said. “It’s very sad to have seen this occurred.”
Rodella said Archibeque, a resident of Brazos, a town about 70 miles north of Española, was riding north on U.S. 64/84 with his mother at about 7 p.m. May 2.
Another motorist was traveling southbound on the same road, which connects the northern communities of Tierra Amarilla and Chama, when a deer sprinted in front of the driver. The driver’s Volvo hit the deer, Rodella said, and the impact of the crash sent the 180- to 200-pound animal flying through the air.
In a combination of bad luck and timing, the animal struck the Pontiac sedan in which Archibeque and his mother were riding. Archibeque was struck in the head and other parts of his body.
Emergency responders rushed him to Tierra Amarilla, and he was then airlifted to University Hospital in Albuquerque. Rodella said Archibeque died Sunday following medical complications. His mother was not seriously injured.
The accident caused extensive damage to the Volvo, and the Pontiac sedan was totaled.
The male deer died at the scene, and Rodella said the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish claimed the carcass.
Attempts to reach the Archibeque family were unsuccessful Thursday night. An online obituary at the DeVargas Funeral Home’s website says Archibeque was survived by his children, mother, father, wife and several other relatives, and was preceded in death by his daughter and grandparents.
The death notice said Archibeque was a loving family member who enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening. The San José Catholic Church in Los Ojos will recite a rosary for Archibeque at 10 a.m. Friday, and a funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m.
