by Clay Holtzman
Daily Lobo
On a Tuesday that had been proclaimed "Civil Engineers Day," the UNM engineering community was left in shock by the news that one of its brightest and most promising students was killed in a car crash Monday.
Joseph Roybal, 23, a senior civil engineering major at the School of Engineering, was killed early Monday when the vehicle he was traveling in swerved off a snow-covered I-40 and rolled over at least two times, Lt. Robert Shilling of the New Mexico State Police said.
Roybal was ejected from the vehicle during the accident that occurred west of Gallup near mile marker 14.
Schilling said weather was the major factor in the accident. He added that due to specific indicators at the crash, police were investigating if alcohol played a role in the accident, but it is still undetermined whether that's a factor in the crash.
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The lieutenant said none of the occupants were wearing seat belts, and that Roybal was not driving the vehicle.
Roybal's mother, Barbara Shrader, said her son was returning from a trip to Las Vegas, Nev., with his friends at the time of the accident.
The Santa Fe native was fully dedicated to all of the work he committed himself to, Shrader said.
"If he cared about something, he gave it his all," she said. "One hundred percent."
Last year, Roybal was named the civil engineering outstanding junior, an honor based mostly on GPA, which Timothy J. Ward, chairman of the Civil Engineering Department, said was "very high."
Roybal received the William and Mary Reed scholarship both last year and this year, and made the school's honor roll four out of the last five semesters.
Roybal was the treasurer for the UNM chapter of Chi Epsilon, the national engineering honor society since his induction last year, said the group's president, senior Michael Youngman.
"To me he was a trusted board member and a confidant, a friend," he said.
Youngman described Roybal as talented, polite and a true gentleman who "shared with everyone and ignored no one."
Shrader said her son was interested in attending graduate school and was looking at some of the best programs in the nation.
"He had the grades and the intelligence to do it," Youngman said. "He could pick the school he wanted."
"Civil Engineers Day" was meant to be an observance and celebration of the work civil engineers have done around the state. Gov. Johnson declared the proclamation to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The proclamation's goal was meant to bring about awareness of the contributions civil engineers make to society.
However, after hearing about Roybal's death, the day took on a very different meaning for the School of Engineering community.
"We are more focused on the loss of Joseph than the proclamation of civil engineering day," Ward said. "It has been something that has deeply affected all of us in the department."
Funeral services for Roybal will be at 2 p.m., Thursday, at the First Baptist Church, 1605 Old Pecos Trail, in Santa Fe.
The family will have a viewing today at 5 p.m. at the Bernardinelli Mortuary, 1399 Luisa, in Santa Fe.
