LCSO issues citations on NM128
Christina Holt/News-Sun
The Lea County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic safety blitz west of Jal due to the increase of vehicle crashes and citizen complaints of unsafe driving.
The blitz was on Sept. 9 – 13 on New Mexico Highway 128 between the City of Jal and the Lea/Eddy County line.
During the five days, the Traffic Division conducted 355 traffic stops and 370 citations were issued, according to the LCSO press release.
“Traffic is pretty heavy,” City of Jal Mayor Stephen Aldridge said.
And City of Jal Councilor Freddy Seifts, who travels the road daily, agreed. “The traffic is so heavy on that road,” he said. Seifts noticed a bigger law enforcement presence on the highway last week.
The press release stated most of the citations were for speeding but others included improper lane use and passing in a no-passing zone.
But this two-lane stretch of highway has been known to be unsafe for years.
NM 128 has seen 831 wrecks from 2012 through 2021, including 40 deaths, according to data provided by NMDOT. NM 128 was likely three times more dangerous than US 82 in 2013 and it has only gotten worse, a previous News-Sun article stated in July 2023.
The article stated further, statistically, NM 128 may not be the most dangerous section of roadway in New Mexico, but some Jal residents have given it the moniker “Killer 128” over the years. It’s as hazardous a roadway as just about any in the Permian Basin.
The 50-mile stretch of highway was designated a New Mexico Safety Corridor around 2019.
This designation doubles the fines for speeding, reckless driving or any kind of moving violation, a previous News-Sun article noted in 2019.
The speed limit is set at 55 miles per hour, but yet there is still an issue.
“It’s almost bumper to bumper. It’s pretty congested all hours of the day and night,” Seifts said. “It’s primarily commercial and oil field traffic.”
City of Jal Chief of Police Mauricio Valeriano is happy the LCSO conducts the saturations because it impacts Jal.
“I definitely noticed people drove a lot slower, drivers wearing seat belts and less texting while driving,” Valeriano said. “We hope they continue doing those.”
Aldridge is glad to see the LCSO conducting the traffic stops and hopes drivers will “take note, slow down, and drive properly. For every (driver) pulled over about 10 or 15 saw it,” he said.
Lea County Sheriff Corey Helton said, “These accidents would reduce dramatically if we slow down and pay more attention to your driving.”
Helton told the News-Sun in July 2023, his deputies are either patrolling or called to 128 daily. From his standpoint, the one thing that will make the biggest difference is making it a four-lane highway.
“We are down there all the time,” he said. “(Highway) 128 is the real reason I created a traffic unit. The majority of our wrecks are on 128, 176, Delaware Basin.”
When provided with the crash data for NM 128, Helton called it “staggering,” and agreed driver behavior also needs to change.
“The first thing that needs to happen is the operators need to slow down,” he said.
“LCSO wants to remind all drivers that safety is a shared responsibility. Speeding and reckless driving increase the risk of crashes, injuries, and fatalities. When traveling through safety corridors such as State Road 128, please slow down, stay alert, and follow all traffic laws to ensure the safety of everyone on the road,” the press release stated.
“Traffic safety is a top priority for the Sheriff’s Office, and we will continue to take enforcement actions to protect our community,” LCSO Captain Vicente Garcia stated in the press release. “We urge all motorists to drive responsibly and make our roads safer for everyone.”
