Lea County, NM - On October 17, 2019 at about 6:00 p.m. the New Mexico State Police responded to a fatal crash on New Mexico State Road 18 around mile post 3 between Jal and the NM/TX state line involving two pickup trucks, an SUV and three motorcycles.

The initial investigation indicated a 2012 white Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Demarcus Jamal Wilder (31) of Kosciusko, Mississippi was traveling north on State Road 18. For unknown reasons, the Silverado crossed the center line into the south bound lane where it sideswiped a south bound 2019 black Chevrolet Equinox and then collided with a south bound 2018 white Dodge Ram, causing the Ram to roll over. Three Harley Davidson motorcycles that were traveling north behind the Silverado all crashed attempting to avoid the collision. Wilder suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced deceased on scene by the Office of the Medical Investigator.

The driver and sole occupant of the Equinox, a 41-year-old Monahans, TX man was injured and transported by EMS to an area hospital. The driver of the Dodge Ram a 39-year-old Edinburg, TX man and one passenger, a 20-year-old Weslaco, TX man were both injured and transported by EMS to an area hospital. Two other passengers in the Ram, a 34-year-old man and 32-year-old Edinburg, TX man were uninjured. Two of the motorcyclist both from Kermit, TX, a 38-year-old man and a 34-year-old man were injured and transported by EMS to an area hospital.  The third motorcyclist a 43-year-old man also of Kermit, TX was uninjured.

Alcohol does not appear to be a contributing factor to the crash and a seatbelt does not appear to have been properly utilized by Wilder. For the privacy of the victims their identities nor the hospitals they were transported to will not be immediately released by New Mexico State Police. Their injuries and current conditions are not known. The crash is still under investigation by the New Mexico State Police uniform division and the New Mexico State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit.