State: Wrong-way driver did have valid license

Posted at: 07/10/2009 10:48 AM | Updated at: 07/10/2009 4:31 PM
By: Eyewitness News 4

The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department said Friday afternoon that MVD staff discovered that Scott Owens' record incorrectly stated the status of his license, which was valid at the time of the deadly wrong-way crash.

Santa Fe County sheriff's reports said a wrong-way driver who plowed into a carload of teenagers, killing four, had an expired license.

NMTRD Secretary Rick Homans said in a statement Friday, "We are investigating how and why the error with Mr. Owens’ record occurred, and we will determine whether there are other driver records that have not been updated as well. As of today we have updated Mr. Owens’ record to reflect the correct expiration date, and other driver records will be updated as necessary."

The report released Thursday said 27-year-old Scott Owens' license expired in January. MVD records now show the expiration date as November 9, 2012.

The sheriff's department report says the driver of the teenagers' car, 16-year-old Avree Koffman, had a provisional license for beginning drivers.

Such licenses prohibit driving between midnight and 5 a.m. or carrying more than one passenger under age 21 who isn't a family member.

The crash just after midnight June 28 killed Kate Klein, Julian Martinez and Alyssa Trouw, all 16, and 15-year-old Rose Simmons.

Owens faces four counts of vehicular homicide and one of great bodily injury by vehicle. Authorities say Owens' blood-alcohol level was 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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