Three-vehicle Crash Results in One Fatality

Las Cruces police are continuing to investigate a three-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a 54-year-old man Sunday evening.

Shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, Las Cruces police were called to the report of a three-vehicle collision on the 900 block of north Valley Drive.

Traffic investigators learned a 2024 black Nissan Armada was traveling north on Valley Drive, at a high rate of speed, when it rear-ended a silver Chevrolet Malibu. The crash caused the Malibu to enter the southbound lanes of traffic where it sideswiped an orange Ford Mustang.

The Armada went off the roadway and struck a building. The driver and sole occupant of the Armada, identified as 54-year-old Michael James Massa, from Bellflower, Calif., was transported to Mountainview Regional Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.

The driver of the Malibu and two occupants of the Mustang were transported to area hospitals. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

The crash temporarily closed a portion of Valley Drive while police conducted their on-site investigation.