Three Hawaii residents were killed Sunday afternoon when a commercial truck crossed the median on Interstate 40 in New Mexico and slammed into their vehicle in the eastbound lanes. Wayne Viveiros, 68, Luana Viveiros, 51, and Lilinoe Viveiros, 22, died in the crash near Gallup, along with the driver of the truck that crossed into oncoming traffic.
A Hawaii News Now report covered the collision near Gallup. Investigators say a westbound commercial truck crossed the median and entered the eastbound lanes of I-40, where it struck the Viveiros family's vehicle. KOB 4 reported that the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator declared three people dead and police identified them by name, according to a report carried by KOB 4.
The station's report also noted that the initial commercial truck caught fire after impact. A second commercial truck was also involved in the collision; its driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver of the truck that crossed the median was killed, bringing the total death toll to four.
A Prominent Voice in Hawaii Youth Robotics
Luana Viveiros served as president and a board member of Hawaiʻi FIRST Robotics, a nonprofit that supports youth robotics programs and competitions across the state's schools, according to nonprofit filings reviewed by ProPublica. The organization oversees local robotics tournaments for thousands of students statewide, underscoring the scope of the loss for Hawaii's educational community.
News of the family's death prompted an immediate response back home. Local community members and reporters set up online fundraisers, including GoFundMe and MealTrain accounts, to help surviving family members cover funeral and transportation costs, per a report from Hawaii News Now reporter Dillon Ancheta.
A Hazardous Stretch of Interstate Freight Corridor
The stretch of Interstate 40 between Gallup and Albuquerque is a major national commercial trucking route, and steep grades, high traffic volume and sudden weather shifts contribute to frequent tractor-trailer crashes there, according to the Caruso Law Offices. Thousands of commercial freight trucks navigate this stretch of central New Mexico daily.
National Transportation Safety Board research shows wrong-way collisions on divided highways are four times more likely to result in fatal or severe injuries than other crash types, due to the high-speed head-on impact forces involved, as Hoodline has previously reported. Wrong-way entries onto divided highways are frequently linked to driver disorientation or impairment.
State Response and Road Safety Plans
Plans call for safety and road improvements along a stretch of I-40 in Gallup.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation's 2024 Traffic Crash Annual Report is dated Feb. 5, 2026. Investigators have not said what caused the truck to cross the median, and that question remains unresolved as the investigation continues.
