Fatal Crashes Only
This report covers fatal crashes only, from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System — the federal census of every crash on a US public road that killed someone within 30 days. It does not include injury or property-damage-only crashes, and its totals are not comparable with the all-severity crash reports published elsewhere on this site.
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YEAR-OVER-YEAR CRASH REPORT · NEW MEXICO · SEPTEMBER 2023
Purpose: Machine-readable JSON endpoint for AI agents, LLMs, researchers, and programmatic consumers. Returns all underlying crash data and AI-generated commentary without HTML.
Authentication: None required. Public endpoint.
Monthly Traffic Safety Analysis
32 CRASHES IN
NEW MEXICO
SEPTEMBER 2023
In September 2023, there were 32 fatal crashes, a decrease of 15.8% compared to the 38 fatal crashes recorded in September 2022. Total fatalities decreased by 27.3%, from 44 to 32. A notable shift was the 100% increase in pedestrian fatalities, rising from 5 in the prior period to 10 in the current period.
32
▼ -15.8%was 38
Total Crash Events
32
▼ -27.3%was 44
Persons Killed
7
▼ -78.1%was 32
Persons Injured
2
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (32) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (32) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
The overall trend indicates a decrease in fatal crashes and fatalities year-over-year. Fatal crashes decreased by 6, from 38 to 32, representing a 15.8% reduction. Total fatalities also saw a significant decline, falling by 12 from 44 to 32, a 27.3% decrease.
2
Hit-and-Run Crashes — September 2023
▼ 0.0% vs prior (2)
The number of fatal hit-and-run crashes remained constant at 2 in both the current and prior periods. However, the hit-and-run rate slightly increased from 5.3% of all fatal crashes in the prior period to 6.3% in the current period.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
10
Pedestrians Killed
1
Cyclists Killed
21
Motorists Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
7
Motorists Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
The peak day for fatal crashes shifted from Thursday with 8 fatal crashes in the prior period to Saturday with 9 fatal crashes in the current period. The peak hour for fatal crashes also shifted slightly, moving from 9 PM with 6 fatal crashes in the prior period to 10 PM with 5 fatal crashes in the current period.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
While lighting conditions showed shifts, weather and road surface data were not consistently available for comparison across both periods. In the current period, 28 fatal crashes occurred in clear weather, compared to no weather data available for the prior period. Regarding lighting, daylight fatal crashes decreased from 21 in the prior period to 12 in the current period, while fatal crashes in dark, unlighted conditions increased from 7 to 10.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
Top Vehicle Makes (47 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
3 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (68 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
Fatal crashes at 65 mph speed limits increased from 5 in the prior period to 6 in the current period, making it the highest category in the current period. Conversely, fatal crashes at 35 mph speed limits decreased from 6 to 5, and at 45 mph speed limits decreased from 6 to 5. The total number of fatal crashes with recorded speed limits decreased from 34 in the prior period to 30 in the current period.
Fatal crashes by zone: 25 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 30 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 35 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 40 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 45 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 50 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 55 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 60 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 65 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 75 mph: 3 of 3 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The dominant manner of collision in the current period was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport,' accounting for 22 fatal crashes (68.8%), an increase from 19 fatal crashes (50%) in the prior period. Angle collisions significantly decreased from 14 fatal crashes (36.8%) in the prior period to 4 fatal crashes (12.5%) in the current period. Front-to-Rear collisions increased from 3 fatal crashes to 5 fatal crashes.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
In the current period, 'Truck-tractor' was the most common vehicle body type involved in fatal crashes with 13 incidents, an increase from 6 in the prior period. 'Two Wheel Motorcycle' involvement decreased from 9 fatal crashes in the prior period to 7 in the current period. 'Light Pickup' involvement also saw a decrease, from 13 in the prior period to 4 in the current period.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 11 reported. 2 additional (2 total) not shown: Unknown (pickup style) light conventional truck type, Station Wagon (excluding van and truck based).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
The distribution of fatal crashes shifted towards urban areas in the current period, with 18 fatal crashes occurring in urban settings compared to 16 in the prior period. Conversely, rural fatal crashes decreased from 21 in the prior period to 14 in the current period. In the current period, urban areas accounted for 56.3% of fatal crashes, while rural areas accounted for 43.8%.
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
In the current period, 'Minor Arterial' and 'Interstate' roadways each accounted for 8 fatal crashes, while 'Principal Arterial - Other' was the leading class in the prior period with 16 fatal crashes. 'Interstate' fatal crashes increased from 6 in the prior period to 8 in the current period. 'Minor Arterial' fatal crashes increased from 5 to 9.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
State Highway Agencies continued to oversee the majority of fatal crashes, with 22 incidents in the current period, a slight decrease from 24 in the prior period. City or Municipal Highway Agencies had 7 fatal crashes in both periods. County Highway Agencies saw a decrease from 4 fatal crashes in the prior period to 3 in the current period.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Type
The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes decreased from 62 in the prior period to 47 in the current period. Pedestrian involvement in fatal crashes doubled, increasing from 5 in the prior period to 10 in the current period. Passenger involvement also decreased, from 27 in the prior period to 12 in the current period.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
The number of persons sustaining fatal injuries (K) decreased from 44 in the prior period to 32 in the current period. Conversely, the number of persons sustaining no injuries (O) increased from 20 to 31. The total number of injured persons (A, B, C, U) decreased from 32 in the prior period to 7 in the current period.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The number of persons reported using 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' decreased significantly from 50 in the prior period to 25 in the current period. Simultaneously, the number of persons reported with 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment decreased from 26 in the prior period to 22 in the current period.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
The '12 Clock Point' remained the most frequent area of impact, with 23 incidents in the current period, a decrease from 29 in the prior period. '6 Clock Point' impacts increased from 4 in the prior period to 10 in the current period. 'Non-Collision' incidents remained relatively stable, with 7 in the current period compared to 8 in the prior period.
Point of Impact
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle fatal crashes increased from 18 in the prior period to 22 in the current period, representing the dominant crash type. Two-vehicle fatal crashes decreased from 16 in the prior period to 8 in the current period. There were 2 multi-vehicle fatal crashes involving 4 or 5 vehicles in the current period, compared to 4 multi-vehicle fatal crashes involving 3 or 4 vehicles in the prior period.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30 · Crash-level records
Data Sources & Methodology
Primary Data Source
All crash data in this report is sourced from NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), accessed programmatically via the NHTSA FARS Open Data API (SODA). This dataset contains official police-reported motor vehicle traffic crash records maintained by the reporting jurisdiction's law enforcement agency. Records are published to the open data portal by the municipality and are subject to the portal's terms of use.
Data Retrieval
- Access method: NHTSA FARS Open Data API (SoQL queries)
- Data format: Structured JSON via REST API
- Record types queried: Crash events, person records, and vehicle unit records
- Date filter applied: 2023-09-01 through 2023-09-30
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2023-09-01 through 2023-09-30 (30 days)
- Geographic scope: New Mexico
- Total crash records analyzed: 32
- Total persons involved: 70
- Total vehicles involved: 47
Analytical Methodology
- Severity classification: Uses the KABCO injury scale (K=Fatal, A=Incapacitating injury, B=Non-incapacitating injury, C=Possible injury, O=No injury/property damage only), the standard classification in U.S. Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). Severity is assigned per crash event based on the most severe injury in that crash. A single fatal crash (K) may involve multiple fatalities; therefore the "Persons Killed" count in the headline KPIs may differ from the "Fatal" crash count in the severity breakdown.
- Contributing factors: Reflect the officer-determined primary contributory cause recorded at the time of the crash report. These are preliminary determinations and may not reflect final investigation findings.
- Hit-and-run classification: Based on the hit-and-run indicator field in the official crash report, as determined by the responding officer at the scene.
- Temporal analysis: Day-of-week and hour-of-day distributions are computed from the crash date/time timestamp in each record.
- Demographics: Age and sex distributions are drawn from person-level records linked to each crash event. A single crash may involve multiple persons.
- Vehicle data: Make information is drawn from vehicle unit records linked to each crash event.
- AI commentary: Narrative sections are generated by Google Gemini (large language model) based on the structured data. Commentary is descriptive, not predictive, and should not be interpreted as expert opinion.
Limitations & Disclaimers
- Only crashes reported to and documented by law enforcement are included. Minor incidents, unreported crashes, and near-misses are not captured in this dataset.
- Data reflects conditions at the time of the initial police report and may be subject to subsequent corrections, reclassifications, or supplements by the reporting agency.
- Open data portal records may experience a publication lag - recently occurring crashes may not yet appear in the dataset at the time of report generation.
- AI-generated commentary is produced by a large language model and is intended to highlight patterns in the data. It does not constitute legal, medical, or professional analysis.
- Percentages are calculated from reported data and are subject to rounding.
Non-Affiliation Disclosure
This report is produced independently by ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with any law enforcement agency, municipal government, state department of transportation, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data is sourced from publicly available government open data portals.
Data License
The underlying crash data is provided under the municipality's Open Data Terms of Use and is made available to the public for unrestricted use. This analysis and report is © 2026 Injuria.ai and may be cited with attribution using the suggested citation below.
Corrections & Feedback
If you believe any data in this report is inaccurate or have questions about our methodology, please contact: data@injuria.ai. We are committed to accuracy and will issue corrections promptly.
Suggested Citation
ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). "New Mexico Crash Intelligence Report: September 2023." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2023-09-30. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/new-mexico/fatal/statewide/september-2023-report
About the Publisher
ThatCarHitMe.com is a crash data intelligence platform developed by Injuria.ai, a legal technology company specializing in traffic safety analytics. We aggregate and analyze publicly available government crash data to produce structured intelligence reports for communities, researchers, journalists, and legal professionals. Our reports combine programmatic data retrieval from official open data portals with AI-assisted narrative analysis.
Questions about this report's data or methodology: data@injuria.ai
ThatCarHitMe.com · An Injuria.ai Company
ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
Crash Data Intelligence
Data: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · NHTSA FARS
Period: 2023-09-01 – 2023-09-30
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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