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The Socorro Sheriff’s Department recovered dozens of fentanyl pills, methadone, and synthetic urine from a truck involved in the head-on collision that caused two fatalities on Highway 60 on August 14.
Kyle Bernstein, 38, of Sweetwater, Texas, was driving west on Highway 60 in a 2005 Chevy truck and was suspected to be under the influence when he collided head-on with a 2002 Ford Van with two passengers, said reports. Both drivers, Bernstein and 60-year-old Janet Offill of Paris, Texas, were pronounced dead on the scene.
According to police reports, survivor Brian Woodworth, 69, of Paris, Texas, said he noticed the truck going towards them in their lane. His wife, Offill, drove to the south shoulder to avoid a collision, and the truck turned toward the south shoulder as well. He said his wife pulled back on the roadway to avoid the truck again, who then pulled back into the roadway, causing the vehicles to collide head-on.
Woodworth told the detective that it appeared the collision that claimed his wife’s life was intentional. He told officers the truck was mirroring the van’s movements to continue on a course where they were going to crash and he believed Bernstein was attempting to hit them.
When officers arrived at the scene, the van was in the westbound lane facing southwest. Offill was still in the driver’s seat, deceased and Woodworth was stuck in the passenger seat. Socorro EMS used their equipment to extract him and transport him in a medical helicopter to UNM Hospital for treatment, said the report. A dog who appeared to be in good condition was also found in the van.
The truck driven by Bernstein was found northwest and had fallen off a small hill on the side of the highway. When officers were looking for identification for Bernstein, they found a black backpack in the cab of the truck, which contained an orange pill bottle containing blue pills labeled “M-30.” They also found bottles of purple liquid known to be methadone and a box of synthetic urine.
Officers suspect drug use contributed to the crash but are waiting on toxicology reports for confirmation.
