Negligent homicide and battery arrest warrant issued for man accused of driving wrong way on I30. Woman and child killed in accident.

A police officer works the scene of a fatal accident Tuesday night, March 28, 2023, on Interstate 30. The accident was near the two-mile marker at the Four States Fairgrounds exit in the westbound lane, according to the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department. Police are asking motorists to avoid this area. (Photo by JD)
A police officer works the scene of a fatal accident Tuesday night, March 28, 2023, on Interstate 30. The accident was near the two-mile marker at the Four States Fairgrounds exit in the westbound lane, according to the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department. Police are asking motorists to avoid this area. (Photo by JD)

TEXARKANA, Ark. --An arrest warrant for two counts of negligent homicide and three counts of first degree battery has been issued for Richard Gabriel Lopez. Lopez is accused of driving the wrong way on Interstate 30 Tuesday and causing an accident that claimed the lives of a woman and child.

Lopez, 43, has a San Antonio address, according to the warrant signed by Miller County District Judge Carlton Jones.

Lopez was driving a 2015 Ford Mustang eastbound in the westbound lane of I30 at 6:41 p.m. Tuesday when he collided with a 2017 Kia Optima driven by Takeyah Latin, according to the arrest affidavit.

Lopez's front passenger side collided with Latin's front passenger side. Lopez's vehicle came to rest in the highway facing north. Latin's vehicle came to rest in the median facing east.

A woman in the vehicle and a male child were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, according to the affidavit

Two other women and another child in the vehicle 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, told police she had been driving the Mustang until they stopped at the Flying J near the seven 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, Lopez refused to give his name and appeared to be impaired, according to the affidavit. The affidavit was signed by ASP Captain John Rhone.

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