TEXARKANA, Texas -- A man charged with driving in the wrong lane of Interstate 30 and causing an accident that killed a woman and two children Tuesday has been arrested.
Richard Gabriel Lopez, 43, of San Antonio, was released Saturday afternoon from Wadley Regional Medical Center and immediately taken into custody by the Bowie County Sheriff's Office on a warrant issued by the Arkansas State Police for three counts of negligent homicide and two counts of first-degree battery, ASP Troop G Capt. Brady Gore said.
Lopez waived extradition shortly after his arrest. He was picked up at Bi-State by the Miller County Sheriff's Office and taken to the Miller County Detention Center, according to ASP.
Lopez, who was injured in the accident, had been a patient at Wadley since Tuesday night. A warrant was issued for his arrest later in the week.
Lopez was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang eastbound in the westbound lane of I-30 when he collided with a 2017 Kia Optima driven by Takeyah Latin, according to an affidavit signed by ASP Capt. John Rhone.
The front passenger side of the Mustang collided with front passenger side of the Optima.
Lopez's vehicle came to rest in the highway facing north. Latin's vehicle came to rest in the median facing east, according to a police report.
JaBrea Conway, 24, and a male infant, who were passengers in the Optima, were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, according to the affidavit. A 4-year-old girl who was seriously injured died Thursday at Arkansas Children's Hospital, according to the state police.
Two other women in the Optima were seriously injured, according to the affidavit.
One of the women in the vehicle told police that they were traveling from Hope to Texarkana to celebrate another child's birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese.
Lopez's girlfriend, Arianna Para, reportedly told police she had been driving the Mustang until they stopped at the Flying J near the 7-mile marker to get gas. Para said that's when Lopez jumped into the driver's seat of the Mustang and drove away, according to the affidavit.
At the scene of the accident, Lopez refused to give his name and appeared to be impaired, according to the affidavit.
Lopez is awaiting his first court hearing, where he will be arraigned.
RICHARD GABRIEL LOPEZ
Richard Gabriel Lopez, seen in shadow at top left, is loaded into a Bowie County Sheriff's Department van Saturday, April 1, 2023, after being discharged from Wadley Regional Medical Center. Lopez, 43, is accused of negligent homicide and first-degree battery after a wreck Tuesday, March 28 on Interstate 30 left three people dead — including two children — and two women seriously injured, authorities said. (Staff photo by Danielle Dupree)