Driver Arrested In Deadly Crash on US 54
Police identified the man accused of driving the wrong way on U.S. 54 and crashing head-on into an oncoming car, killing its driver early Monday in Northeast El Paso, police said.
Police arrested 34-year-old Judd Eriich on suspicion of intoxicated manslaughter in connection with crash that killed Jimmy Howard, 45.
Eriich, of the 6800 block of Bellrose Drive, was booked into the El Paso County Jail after being released from the hospital, where he was treated for injuries that were not serious. His bond was set at $50,000
Howard, of the 4900 block of Sean Haggerty Drive, was driving a white 1994 Plymouth Acclaim north on U.S. 54 when a gray GMC Sierra pickup reportedly driven by Eriich heading south in the northbound lane slammed into the car head-on near the Sun Valley Drive exit, police said. According to police spokesman Mike Baranyay, Howard was pinned and died at the scene.
Howard was a Red Cross volunteer and was recently named Volunteer of the Year by the local Red Cross, officials said.
“It’s tragic and we can only hope that there was minimal pain, and Jim did really want to help other people every day of his life. And I know that regardless of the way it happened, he would ask us to keep moving forward in his honor,” said Mark Matthys, the executive director of the El Paso Red Cross.
No other passengers were involved in the crash.
This is the 36th traffic-related death this year, equaling the number at the same time last year.
Howard had been with the Red Cross since 2005. He began volunteering in El Paso during Hurricane Katrina and had traveled to assist in disaster relief efforts during Texas hurricanes and in the recent Mississippi floods.
“He always wanted to bring a little extra life and put a smile on your face even though we were facing a crisis. Seeing the look of relief on a client’s face, knowing that he was making a difference, that he was changing a life, and saving the day, I think that’s what brought him to our office every day,” said Matthys.
