State police said hitchhikers may be eager to get out of the cold or get a ride home to family during the holiday season, but those who walk along the interstate are putting themselves at great risk.Earlier this month on Interstate 25 near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue exit, investigators said a woman was hit and killed by a car. She was walking along the interstate northbound.“No one should be on the interstate system,” said State Police Chief Pete Kasettas. “They’re not supposed to be there and it’s a dangerous practice.”Mobile users: Tap for videoIt’s a practice that puts drivers in danger as well.“We can actually ticket someone who is on the interstate system,” said Kasettas. “Normally what we do is pick them up and move them to a safer place if that's possible."Kasettas said the practice is especially concerning with more traffic on New Mexico’s interstates during the holidays. He encourages drivers to be on the lookout for hitch hikers.Kasettas said when drivers see a hitchhiker or someone walking, pull to the lane furthest away and call 911. If a driver sees an officer stopped along the interstate, they should try to move over one lane if it’s safe to do so.

State police said hitchhikers may be eager to get out of the cold or get a ride home to family during the holiday season, but those who walk along the interstate are putting themselves at great risk.

Earlier this month on Interstate 25 near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue exit, investigators said a woman was hit and killed by a car. She was walking along the interstate northbound.


“No one should be on the interstate system,” said State Police Chief Pete Kasettas. “They’re not supposed to be there and it’s a dangerous practice.”

Mobile users: Tap for video

It’s a practice that puts drivers in danger as well.

“We can actually ticket someone who is on the interstate system,” said Kasettas. “Normally what we do is pick them up and move them to a safer place if that's possible."

Kasettas said the practice is especially concerning with more traffic on New Mexico’s interstates during the holidays. He encourages drivers to be on the lookout for hitch hikers.

Kasettas said when drivers see a hitchhiker or someone walking, pull to the lane furthest away and call 911. If a driver sees an officer stopped along the interstate, they should try to move over one lane if it’s safe to do so.