Post impales passenger
Crash near Cracker Barrel kills local man

By Leslie Wood
Staff writer

GALLUP — A 27-year-old Gallup man will face vehicular homicide charges after he allegedly drove drunk Friday night and was involved in a crash that killed a 29-year-old passenger inside his pickup.

Sherwin Chee was booked into the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on charges of homicide by vehicle, driving while intoxicated and on a suspended license following the crash that claimed the life of passenger Mel Bigthumb at about 11:30 p.m.

Witnesses said Chee was driving a 2004 red GMC pickup west along Maloney Avenue adjacent to the Cracker Barrel restaurant at an excessive speed when he lost control of the vehicle, crossed into eastbound traffic and into a dirt field where the vehicle slammed into a chain-link fence.

The impact subsequently caused one of the fence’s poles to impale Bigthumb. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

“The initial impact with the fencing was sufficient to tear one of the 1 1/2-inch fence poles used to support the fence fabric from the fence at which time it impacted with the right side of the vehicle windshield. This 21-foot section of fence intruded within the cabin of the vehicle in-between the front bucket seats and into the rear passenger area where the end of the pole impaled the passenger causing, a fatal injury,” according to a police report released Monday morning by the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department.

Chee and passenger Paul Hanson Jr., of Manuelito, were not injured.

Following the crash, Chee reportedly tried to run from the scene, but was quickly detained by a local community service aide.

Authorities noted that Chee’s eyes were bloodshot and he smelled of alcohol. He was subsequently placed under arrest and was taken to Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital to determine his level of alleged intoxication.

According to a police report, excessive speed also contributed to the fatal crash.

Sheriff’s department officials were not immediately available for comment as of 10:30 a.m.