Texas man killed in truck crash on U.S. Highway 62/180 in Eddy County near Carlsbad

A Texas man was killed after his truck veered into traffic Friday and collided with a freight truck on on U.S. Highway 62/180 in Eddy County, police said.

The crash was reported at about 12:33 p.m. near Mile Markers 26 southeast of Carlsbad on the roadway, also known as National Parks Highway, in a rural area just northeast of Dark Canyon Highway, according to a Saturday news release from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office.

Jurado Jerome Escarcega, 34, of Imperial, Texas was driving his 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 north in the outside lane and drifted into the inside lane for unknown reasons, police said, behind a while 1993 Freightliner commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

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Escarcega attempted to return to the outside lane but struck the rear passenger side of the CMV as it completed a left turn into the lane.

He was transported to Carlsbad Medical Center and later pronounced dead, read the release.

Escarcega’s family was notified of this death, police said.

The roadway was closed for about three hours during the investigation, police said.

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Police cited driver inattention and Escarcega’s failure to maintain traffic lanes as contributing factors in the crash.

The incident remained under investigation.

Anyone with questions or additional information was asked to call Lt. James Lara at the Eddy County Traffic Team at 575-887-7551.

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Texas man killed in truck crash in Eddy County near Carlsbad