I-40 accident victim ID’d

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — A woman who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 40 during the early hours of Monday, Oct. 27 has been identified.

The family of Julie Begay, 19, identified her body after reading in the Independent about the so-far unidentified girl’s mysterious death. Begay was apparently in the far right, eastbound lane near mile marker 29 at around 3:45 a.m. when a truck struck and killed her. Begay was found wearing a “2pac” pullover and blue Converse All-Star sneakers.

According to Begay’s mother, Julia Begay, her daughter left home at around 10 p.m. Saturday, about 30 hours before she was killed. She told her mother she was going with friends to see a movie, and then to Denny’s for a late dinner. She said she’d be home around 12:30 a.m.

“She didn’t name them,” Julia Begay said. “She just said ‘my friends.’”

Julia Begay said she began to worry when she woke up the next day and found her daughter had not come home, because her daughter always comes home when she gives a specific time.

By Sunday, the family had heard rumors that Julie Begay was seen running up and down Interstate 40, and even one unsubstantiated report that she had been picked up by authorities and taken to jail or to NCI. The family contacted the jail and found that Begay had not been booked, but NCI never responded.

McKinley County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call placed by the truck driver who inadvertently struck Begay on the morning of Oct. 27. Begay was pronounced dead at the scene and the truck driver was released after questioning. Investigators were unable to identify Begay using fingerprints. Services for Begay are Wednesday.