Fort Bliss soldier drank ‘a lot’ before crash that killed engaged couple, Texas cops say

A&nbsp, U. S. Army&nbsp, man is facing charges after a late evening vehicle crash left a&nbsp, Texas &nbsp, few dead, officials told news outlets.

The crash&nbsp, happened before midnight&nbsp, Nov. 2, at an crossing in&nbsp, El Paso, &nbsp, McClatchy News&nbsp, reported. &nbsp, Rick Ballard, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his 28-year-old girlfriend, &nbsp, Dalia Olivas, &nbsp, died from her injuries&nbsp, at a clinic.

Authorities at&nbsp, Fort Bliss, a military base in&nbsp, El Paso, said the driver of the other car was &nbsp, one of their soldiers, KVIA reported.

Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer, 23, was &nbsp, driving drunk&nbsp, when the injury occurred, representatives with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said, according to court documents obtained by KFOX. According to the station, the station reported that Ferrer, who was still wearing a blue wristband from a gender reveal party he attended, had a strong alcohol odor and had had” a lot” of alcohol that evening.

Court documents show a destructive scene, according to the sheriff’s office, despite the sheriff’s department having revealed few details about the collision, KFOX reviews, as deputies claim one of Ballard’s legs was discovered inside his car despite the fact that he was thrown from his car upon impact.

Family and friends say Ballard and Olivas planned to get married and walk to&nbsp, Florida&nbsp, up, McClatchy reported. Olivas, who was an English instructor in&nbsp, El Paso, was “full of career and had a heart of gold”, her sister, &nbsp, Diana Villalobos, said in a&nbsp, GoFundMe.

Ferrer is charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter, each with a$ 260, 000 bond, jail records show.

Officers at&nbsp, Fort Bliss&nbsp, said they are “deeply saddened” by the event and by its “impact on the&nbsp, El Paso&nbsp, community”, KVIA reported.

” We remain committed to a powerful driver training program focused on concerned driving habits that begins the first week Men arrive to Fort Bliss”, Major General&nbsp, Curtis Taylor&nbsp, said in a speech, the station reported. We will keep conducting numerous safety checks throughout the assembly to encourage ridesharing opportunities and encourage healthy driving practices. We remain engaged with group leaders and local law enforcement to improve the safety of the&nbsp, Fort Bliss&nbsp, and&nbsp, El Paso&nbsp, neighborhoods”.

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