Street racing blamed in fatal NM 528 crash that killed Rio Rancho man, injured two others

A Rio Rancho man died and two others were seriously injured April 4 after police say he and another driver were racing at high speed on NM Highway 528 — a stretch where one of them had already been stopped for speeding that same morning — when he lost control and slammed into a turning vehicle at Corrales Road.

The deceased driver was identified in the report as Noah Lawrence C De Baca, 24, of Albuquerque. According to the report, C De Baca and a second driver had been stopped together at the NM 528 and Northern Blvd. intersection when the light turned green. Both vehicles accelerated rapidly, with C De Baca’s tires spinning out as the vehicles raced. At the Corrales Road intersection, C De Baca’s 2004 Infiniti G35 struck a 2012 Subaru that was turning east onto Corrales Road. The Infiniti rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its passenger side on the dirt shoulder east of the roadway. A third vehicle traveling southbound sustained minor damage from flying debris.

Multiple witnesses told officers the Infiniti was traveling an estimated 100 to 120 mph at the time of impact. C De Baca was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger sustained serious injuries and was extracted by Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue before being transported to University of New Mexico Hospital. A family friend reported on social media that she suffered three broken vertebrae, a broken arm and broken ankles, and underwent back surgery the day of the crash. The Subaru’s driver was transported to Presbyterian Rust Medical Center with a possible broken foot and neck injuries.

The second driver remained at the scene and admitted to officers that both he and C De Baca had been traveling at high speed — an account consistent with statements from multiple witnesses. The crash report lists excessive speed as a contributing factor for both vehicles. 

A supplemental report notes that the second driver had been issued a written warning for speeding — 46-47 mph in a construction zone on NM 528 near Frontage Road — approximately one hour before the fatal crash. No charges are listed in the crash report. The incident remains under investigation, with a full crash reconstruction pending.