Update: Off-Duty Sheriff’s Deputy Involved In Fatal Collision Resigns
Raymundo Carranza, a 17-year veteran with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, who was arrested over the weekend by the El Paso Police Department for Accident Involving Personal Injury or Death, met with Sheriff Richard Wiles in regards to the incident and has resigned.
El Paso Police have identified the man killed in an alleged hit-and-run collision by an off-duty El Paso County Sheriff’s deputy as 26-year-old Richard Lopez.
Police arrived at the scene just after 4 a.m. Saturday after receiving a call about a traffic collision. Officers found one car had been hit by another but the other vehicle was not there. Lopez, who was changing a tire when he was struck, was dead at the scene, according to police officials.
Special Traffic Investigators were called to the scene and an hour-and-45 minutes after the collision Carranza, the man police said was responsible for the collision, returned to the scene. Police officials said Carranza had caused the collision and then fled.
Carranza was arrested and booked on one count of accident involving a personal injury at 3:41 p.m. on Saturday on $25,000 bail. El Paso County Jail officials said he bonded out at 3:41 p.m. the same day. A hit-and-run offense, or failure to stop and render aid, falls under the Texas statute of Accident Involving a Personal Injury or Death.
Traffic investigators are awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether or alcohol played a part in the crash.
Police had informed Wiles of the incident and Carranza was relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation until he resigned Monday.
