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A man jailed on a vehicular homicide charge in the death of a motorcyclist will face lesser charges after New Mexico State Police realized his vehicle did not strike the rider, only the crashed motorcycle on Interstate 25 in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

Danny Sanchez, 58, is still charged with misdemeanor DWI and careless driving following the dismissal of the homicide by vehicle charge.

鈥淔urther investigation determined that the defendant did not collide with or cause the death of the decedent in this matter,鈥� prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

A preliminary investigation found that Sanchez and the motorcyclist, Keegan 鈥淏eckett鈥� Thomas, were traveling north on I-25 near Comanche shortly before midnight Saturday, according to a news release from Wilson Silver, a State Police spokesperson.

Investigators initially believed Sanchez鈥檚 BMW struck Thomas鈥� motorcycle from behind, ejecting him from the bike, Silver said. Sanchez allegedly continued driving until he realized the vehicle was inoperable and pulled onto the shoulder.

Thomas, 24, was taken to a hospital, where he died.

An obituary for Thomas called him a pure-hearted, honest man who loved to speak about the world and share his thoughts on everything from movies to his dreams of the future.

When police spoke with Sanchez, he said he struck what he believed was 鈥渦nusually large鈥� debris in the roadway, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Officers reported that Sanchez was slurring his words and stumbling while speaking, the complaint states. Sanchez denied drinking alcohol, but police said field sobriety tests indicated he was intoxicated.

Investigators said damage to the front of Sanchez鈥檚 vehicle was 鈥渃onsistent with striking the motorcycle鈥� and charged him with homicide by vehicle, according to the complaint.

However, new evidence from a witness who recorded the crash showed Thomas was already off the motorcycle and lying in the roadway when Sanchez hit the bike.

鈥淭he witnesses who recorded the video left the scene before New Mexico State Police officers arrived and therefore were not identified or interviewed during the initial on-scene investigation,鈥� State Police spokesperson Amanda Richards said in a Wednesday news release.

鈥淏ased on the available video evidence, Sanchez鈥檚 vehicle did not strike Thomas while he was operating the motorcycle, on the motorcycle or lying near it,鈥� Richards said.

Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at nmcclelland@abqjournal.com or at 505-823-3857.