Maricopa resident Mary Ortega, 43, was killed Saturday in a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 10 near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
According to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, eastbound traffic slowed to enter a construction zone. At around 6 p.m., a tractor-trailer rig allegedly ran into the rear of a passenger vehicle, which then ran into the back of a flatbed truck.
The first rig jackknifed and struck three more cars. According to DPS Sgt. Chad Pierce, a total of five passenger vehicles and two commercial rigs were involved in the crash. He said 15 people were involved.
The New Mexico State Police did not specify which vehicle Ortega was in. So far, she is the only reported fatality.
Two other victims were airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. Two more were transported by ground ambulance to UMC.
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