The 22-year-old man charged with manslaughter for last Tuesday’s three-vehicle collision in McAllen that left one dead is revealed to have been speeding through the shoulder lane which led to the fatal accident, police records obtained by The Monitor show.
The affidavit revealed that Lou Autry Gomez was speeding while heading south on S. McColl Road behind a black Chevrolet Trailblazer which was occupied by a mother, Brenda Zeledon, and her four children.
Gomez attempted to overtake the Trailblazer by driving on the shoulder lane which resulted in him striking Zeledon causing her to lose control of her vehicle and swerve into oncoming traffic.
The Trailblazer collided head-on with a gray Chevrolet Silverado occupied by 85-year-old Francisco Quijada who died at the scene.
When asked, Zeledon said she felt an impact as she drove into the oncoming lane but was unable to observe the vehicle that hit her.
Gomez, who was driving a red Chevrolet Sonic, lost control of his vehicle and fell into a drainage ditch.
According to the affidavit, Gomez said he decided to pass some vehicles in front of him by using the shoulder lane because they were brake checking him but waited until he reached a wider section of the lane in order to do so.
He said once it was clear for him to merge back into the southbound lane he did so but felt an impact that caused him to lose control of his vehicle and spun out.
Gomez said he didn’t know the color or make of the vehicle that hit him.
Zeledon and her children were transported to the McAllen Medical Center for injuries sustained during the collision.
Police records show that Quijada’s daughter arrived at the scene as she suspected her father was involved in the accident.
When asked for a voluntary blood sample, Gomez refused and was taken to the police department where he was interviewed again.
It was then that Gomez admitted to having smoked marijuana earlier that day and that he had some in his vehicle inside a black backpack which was found in plain sight on the right rear seat, the affidavit said.
Gomez was arraigned last Thursday for charges of manslaughter, five charges of deadly conduct and possession of marijuana.
He was released Friday on a $52,000 bond.
