A 63-year-old woman died Tuesday morning after a three-vehicle crash in Socorro sent her car careening into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by a third vehicle carrying a young woman and a 1-year-old child. The woman was rushed to a hospital, where she later died of her injuries. The driver and child in the third vehicle were also hospitalized, though their injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
According to KVIA, the crash happened around 10:19 a.m. at the intersection of North Loop Drive and Bauman Road, though CBS4 Local reported that officers responded at around 10:22 a.m. to the 11400 block of North Loop Drive. Per KTSM 9 News, the 63-year-old woman was stopped westbound on North Loop while waiting to turn left onto Bauman Road, according to a preliminary investigation, when a 21-year-old woman driving west on North Loop struck her stopped vehicle from behind.
Impact Sent Car Into Path of Oncoming Traffic
That collision forced the 63-year-old woman's vehicle into oncoming traffic, where a third vehicle traveling east on North Loop struck it, KTSM reports. CBS4 Local identified the vehicles involved as a red 2004 Ford Mustang, which investigators believe rear-ended a stopped silver 2017 Kia Soul before it was struck by a black 2023 Nissan Rogue.
The Nissan Rogue was driven by a 26-year-old woman, with a 1-year-old child in the vehicle with her, according to KTSM. Both the driver and the child were taken to a local hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening, the station notes. The 21-year-old driver of the Mustang did not report any injuries, per CBS4 Local.
Emergency Crews Attempted CPR at the Scene
Emergency personnel initiated CPR on the 63-year-old driver at the scene before she was transported to a local hospital, where she later died of her injuries, KTSM reports. Authorities have withheld her identity while notifying her family, according to the same report.
The investigation is being handled by the Sister Cities Major Crimes Unit, a collaborative unit made up of personnel from the Socorro Police Department and the Horizon City Police Department, along with Special Traffic Investigations personnel, KVIA reports. Socorro police said the investigation remains active, with additional information to be released when available, per KTSM.
Road Closure and Lingering Questions
North Loop Drive between Barnhart Drive and Sunset Avenue was expected to stay closed for several hours while investigators processed the crash scene, according to KVIA. Motorists were urged to avoid the area, use alternate routes and exercise caution near the affected roadway, per KTSM's report.
It remains unclear whether the Mustang driver will face any charges, and authorities have not released the deceased woman's name as the investigation continues. The crash adds to a string of serious wrecks on North Loop Drive, where another woman died following a crash in the Lower Valley in December 2025, according to KFOX.
