The Albuquerque Journal
SANTA FE, N.M. — Kylene Holmes was a tattoo artist who lived in El Paso. She rescued animals, raised pit bulls, and was “the sweetest person in the world,” according to friends and family members.
None of them had any answers about what happened on Interstate 25 in Santa Fe early Tuesday. Police say Holmes was speeding at more than 100 mph, going the wrong way on the interstate’s northbound lanes for at least 20 miles before she slammed head-on into an ambulance.
The Rocky Mountain EMS driver, 19-year-old Vanessa Carrillo of La Cienega, and Holmes’ passenger in a Nissan Altima, Jennifer Michelle Belvin of Ocean Side, Calif., were injured in the crash.
Holmes was in New Mexico to pay a surprise visit to her grandparents, who live in Albuquerque. She died at the scene.
“She was always a friend to other people and wanted to help people,” Holmes’ older sister, Autumn Carter, told the Journal on Wednesday as she fought back tears. “The impact on the EMS worker and her family, that would be the last thing she would want to do is hurt someone like that.”
Holmes was 27. Belvin, her passenger in the wrecked Nissan, is 38. Santa Fe police had their ages switched in reports Tuesday.
Bennett Hazzard, a friend of Holmes’ who recently moved into her El Paso home, told the Journal he finds it hard to believe that Holmes was driving so recklessly.
“I can’t see her doing that,” Hazzard said from El Paso. “She’s good at traveling and doesn’t drive like that, man. Even if she was under the influence, no way would she be driving that fast. She would have been going slow.”
Police are still looking into whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.
Recovering
The condition of Carrillo, the injured ambulance driver, was upgraded from critical to serious Wednesday. She underwent surgery Tuesday afternoon at University of New Mexico Hospital.
Carrillo, a college student and Santa Fe County Fire Department volunteer, was airlifted to UNMH after the wreck, which occurred about 2:24 a.m. Tuesday just north of I-25’s Cerrillos Road exit in Santa Fe.
Belvin was in satisfactory condition Wednesday at Christus-St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, according to hospital spokesman Arturo Delgado. Attempts to reach Belvin or one of her family members were unsuccessful Wednesday. Police say that Holmes was driving south in I-25’s northbound lanes at speeds of up to 100 mph or more as sheriff’s deputies tried to head her off before the fatal head-on.
A few minutes before the crash, Holmes, already in the wrong lane, clipped another vehicle about 20 miles north on I-25, near the Galisteo-Pecos exit, according to police. In that road encounter, a Dodge Caravan driven by 68-yearold Joe Mascareñas of Ribera was nearly struck head-on about 2:16 a.m. but incurred only minor damage. Holmes’ Altima continued south and apparently covered the roughly 20 miles to the crash site in a span of as short as eight minutes. Covering 20 miles in 10 minutes would require traveling at 120 mph.
Mascareñas called 911 after the Altima hit the side of his van and took out his driver’s side rearview mirror. His call was the first report of the wrong-way driver.
Santa Fe County Sheriff Robert Garcia said that just before the crash, responding deputies saw the Altima blast past them along the interstate in Santa Fe, going the wrong way in the northbound lanes. Santa Fe Police and State Police were working on setting up spike strips at the Cerrillos Road exit. The crash occurred just north of there.
Santa Fe Police Chief Aric Wheeler said toxicology results on Holmes could take weeks. A blood draw was taken from Belvin at the Santa Fe hospital but getting results from that test could take up to seven days.
Wheeler said police had not yet conducted a search of the wrecked Altima as of late Wednesday.
Missing her
Hazzard, Holmes’ friend in El Paso, said that Belvin was visiting Holmes there before the two embarked on a road trip to New Mexico to visit family.
Carter, Holmes’ sister, said the two intended to see Holmes’ grandparents in Albuquerque.
As for what Holmes was doing in the Santa Fe area leading up to the accident, Carter said she doesn’t know.
“She may have been doing some Christmas shopping,” Carter said. “I’m assuming she was just enjoying Santa Fe.”
Ruth Offuty said she was doing “as best as I can do” dealing with the tragedy.
“I love my daughter,” she said. “And she was a good person. This is so hard for us.”
Carter said her sister “was very spirited and full of life.” She said she had nieces and nephews “who adored her and they’re gonna miss her a lot.”
Hazzard, who wept during the phone conversation, said he’s still in disbelief.
“I just keep thinking that she’s gonna come back...,” he said. “She wasn’t supposed to go out like that. If you say anything about her, man. She’s the best person in the world.”
Copyright © 2010 Albuquerque Journal By Vic Vela Journal Northern Bureau