Police: Pecos motorcyclist killed in Cerrillos Road-St. Michael's Drive crash

Aug. 30—A Pecos man died Monday night following a crash with a Mazda passenger vehicle at the intersection of Cerrillos Road and St. Michael's Drive.

Santa Fe police said in a news release Tuesday motorcyclist John Pedroni, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police responded to the fatal crash around 7 p.m. Monday, Capt. Anthony Tapia said. He added, the intersection was closed from the time of officers' arrival until about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Pedroni was traveling southbound on Cerrillos Road at the time of the crash, while an elderly woman driving the Mazda was northbound on the same road, Tapia said. The woman was making a left turn onto Osage Avenue when her vehicle crashed with the motorcycle, he added.

Pedroni's motorcycle collided with the front end of the Mazda's passenger side as the vehicle was turning, Tapia said. While the motorcycle's speed is being examined as a factor in the crash, no determinations have been made regarding culpability.

"These are always active investigations, and determinations are made at a later date once the investigation is completed," Tapia said.

There was no one else inside the Mazda at the time of the crash, and the driver was taken to a local hospital to treat minor injuries she suffered during the incident.

Tapia acknowledged the similarities between Monday's motorcycle crash and that of Cameron Thomas on Aug. 19 near the Santa Fe Place mall. Thomas, 25, died following a fatal crash with a Jeep.

His speed during the incident is being looked into as a contributing factor.

"I wish these weren't as identical," Tapia said, "but the speed is a significant factor in these collisions."

The investigations into both motorcycle deaths are active, Tapia said, and could take several weeks to be completed.