Off-duty police officer arrested for role in deadly crash on I-35 near Jarrell

UPDATE: The Texas Department of Public Safety has identified the person who died after a crash on I-35 northbound involving four vehicles, three of which were tractor trailer trucks. It happened at mile marker 277 on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.

56-year-old Dane Keith Rutter of Stockdale died in the I-35 car crash.

 

 

Texas State Troopers responding to the horrific accident on I-35 in Jarrell Tuesday morning point out that the speedometer of the white Hyundai that started the whole ordeal came to rest at over 100 mph.

Troopers say the Hyundai was also seen weaving in and out of traffic when it hit a tractor trailer from behind around 2 A.M. 

Troopers tell FOX 7, the driver of the tractor trailer pulled over, got out and starting walking over to the Hyundai to help.

But the carnage was just beginning, enter vehicle number three. Another big rig hit some debris and ended up striking and killing the truck driver who was walking over to check on the Hyundai. This truck went into a ditch and caught fire.

State Troopers say a fourth vehicle, another tractor trailer, hit some debris and also caught fire. Traffic was backed up for about 11 hours.

"Yeah I was supposed to get here at 7:00 this morning but all the traffic and the cops," said Manuel Rojas who works for Two Texans Truck Wash.

Rojas says some of his truck driver customers saw the whole thing.

"Another car, the motor fell out and another truck hit that motor and the fire started," he recounted.

State Troopers say aside from the truck driver killed while trying to help, three others were hospitalized, including the Hyundai driver who has since been released to the Williamson County Jail. 

DPS also tells FOX 7, the driver of the Hyundai is an off-duty El Paso police officer who was intoxicated, speeding and carrying a weapon.

DPS and El Paso Police have confirmed 26-year-old Alan Dieguez was booked into the Williamson County Jail Tuesday afternoon. So far he's charged with DWI and unlawful carrying of a weapon. 

Troopers said they were hoping to get him on manslaughter too but technically the second wreck, in which the truck driver was killed, is a separate incident even though Dieguez started the domino effect.

El Paso Police said Dieguez will be placed on administrative leave when he gets back.

Update, 4:00 P.M.

According to authorities El Paso police officer Alan Dieguez, a three-year veteran of the El Paso Police Department, has been arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated.

Dieguez, who was off-duty at the time of the crash, was the driver of one of the three vehicles involved in the deadly crash on I-35 in Williamson County early Tuesday morning.

Officer Dieguez will be placed on administrative when he returns to El Paso.

One person is dead after a crash on I-35 northbound involving four vehicles, three of which were tractor trailer trucks. It happened at mile marker 277.

Officials say the northbound lanes have been reopened and the northbound frontage roads of I-35 at exit 277 are now open but there may still be delays.

DPS says that a Hyundai was traveling at an unsafe speed going northbound on I-35 when it collided with a tractor trailer truck. The Hyundai went off the highway and into a grass ditch.

A second tractor trailer truck veered to miss debris in the roadway and lost control going into a side skid across the northbound lanes of the interstate ending up in the ditch and catching on fire.

The third tractor trailer truck struck debris in the road and caught on fire as well.

Three people were transported to the hospital. One person died at the scene.