Basic Facts
Crash date: February 23, 2026
Crash location: Interstate Highway 40 near Carnuel, New Mexico
People involved:
- Sergeant Michael Schlattman, age not reported
- Unidentified person, age unknown
Do Authorities suspect alcohol played a role in this crash? unknown
Did authorities recommend criminal charges? unknown
Do authorities suspect a product defect caused the crash? unknown
Accident Report
February 23, 2026, Sgt. Michael Schlattman lost his life due to a pedestrian versus truck accident sometime in the evening along Interstate Highway 40.
According to authorities, Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a deputy for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, had just exited his vehicle after initiating a traffic stop on the westbound shoulder of I-40 near Carnuel when the accident took place.
Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, the back of his department vehicle was struck by a westbound 18-wheeler which then purportedly struck him, as well, pinning him beneath the wreckage. Sgt. Schlattman—who had reportedly sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision—was declared deceased at the scene.
How Did This Accident Occur?
More often than not, I’d say that accidents like this one occur due to inattention on the part of the truck driver. It seems cut and dry at first glance. The 18-wheeler, its driver not paying close enough attention, drifts out of the lane of traffic and crashes into the parked vehicle. However, I see one glaring problem with that scenario, however plausible: the parked Sheriff Department vehicle more than likely had its emergency lights activated, as it was an active traffic stop on the side of a freeway; that should have made the site highly visible. However, the 18-wheeler still managed to barrel into the back of it.
I’ve been doing this job long enough for this to ignite a little “what if” flame in my brain. What if it was not driver inattention? What if it was something else, like a tire blow out, that caused the truck to veer out of its lane? What if it was steering malfunction? What if something went wrong mechanically and there was little to nothing the driver could have done in the moment to prevent the collision?
I realize it’s not the most likely conclusion, but I can’t help but wonder. Let me know if you think I’m way off base, but these are issues that could—and should—be caught before something like this happens, so long as the truck is getting the regular and thorough maintenance it requires.
The only way to know for sure is through an in-depth investigation. I hope investigators think to ask the questions that might, at first, seem outlandish, especially if the findings would rightfully extend the responsibility for this fatal accident beyond the driver of the truck to those whose duty it is to ensure these trucks are safe to be traveling our roads.
call us 
Email Us 
Text us