Ptlm. Manuel Olivas 1953-1985 |
Manuel Olivas was born in Chihuahua, Mexico on April 7, 1953. His family migrated to Floyd, New Mexico in 1962, when Manuel was 8 years old, and he attended and graduated from the Floyd schools. While attending Eastern New Mexico State University in Portales, Manuel joined the college security police department, where he developed an interest in law enforcement. In September1978, Manuel joined the Portales Police Department and then joined the New Mexico State Police on December 27, 1980. Manuel was stationed in Gallina until he resigned and returned to the Portales Police Department. In April 1982, Manuel moved to Roswell and joined the Roswell Police Department until August 1983, when he returned to the state police. Manuel was assigned to Chama and later transferred to Ribera. | |
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On February 1, 1985, Manuel was investigating a motor vehicle accident on I-25 at milepost 323. The occupants of the vehicles had already left the scene and Manuel was getting measurements and waiting for a wrecker. As Manuel was taking measurements along the roadway edge on a bridge, a drunk driver approached from behind and struck him with the right front fender of his pickup truck. Manuel was knocked off the road where he died instantly. The drunk driver continued to Las Vegas, New Mexico. At 8:45 p.m., one of the wrecker drivers used the police radio to advise Las Vegas State Police of the officer’s condition. A search of the motel parking lots in Las Vegas by state police officer Tom Meserve located the suspect’s vehicle, after which he was arrested and charged with Vehicular Homicide. Manuel was buried in the Portales Cemetery in February 1985, and his wife gave birth to his son on May 8, 1985. Manuel was survived by his wife, one daughter, and one son.
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