APD addresses concerns following 3 ATV crashes this month
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Albuquerque Police Department has handled 3 ATV or off-road vehicle crashes in June.
Earlier this month, Gregory Cordoa led Albuquerque police on a chase down Central. It lasted 20 miles before Cordova crashed near Old Coors and Central. He fled the scene, but police ultimately arrested him.
“There’s bad apples in every sport,” said Frank Keane, who belongs to the local off-roading group, RZR-Ville.
Keane said his group focuses on education and teaching people how to be safe and smart while off-roading. The group also donated to the family of Pronoy Bhattacharya, after the 7-year-old boy was hit and killed by an off-road vehicle driver running a red light outside the River of Lights in 2021.
Last Sunday, police responded to a crash involving an ATV and a motorcycle in southwest Albuquerque. The ATV driver was reportedly doing donuts in an intersection, and is now facing charges.
The Albuquerque Police Department has handled 3 ATV or off-road vehicle crashes in June, so far.
On Thursday night, police responded to another ATV crash. This crash was on 98th Street and also involved an SUV. Police believe the ATV driver was speeding.
“There’s a lot of drinking and driving that occurs in some of those groups,” Keane said. “That in itself, you know, when you’re mixing alcohol with a 200 horsepower machine, that tends to be a very dangerous event.”
An APD spokesperson said the department has zero tolerance for off-road vehicles on city streets. He said APD’s response team does periodic patrols looking for lawbreakers – from the ground and the sky.