Posted on 05/12/2005 11:05:34 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Reyes blames accident on road, not alcohol
MATAMOROS, May 12, 2005 — A Rio Grande Valley soldier sitting in a Mexican jail Wednesday said that he had not been drinking at the time of a fatal Sunday morning wreck and that Mexican police were trying to “pin” manslaughter charges on him.
Police maintain that Elmer Reyes, 22, of Mercedes was intoxicated when his truck carrying seven passengers hit a concrete barrier at 7:10 a.m. Sunday and fell more than 20 feet from a highway overpass.
Reyes, a private first class with the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, was charged with three counts of manslaughter after three of his passengers died. Investigators said he could face another charge if a fourth passenger dies in the hospital.
In a jailhouse interview Wednesday, Reyes expressed remorse for the accident and the deaths, but maintains his innocence.
“It was no homicide,” Reyes told The Brownsville Herald from behind a pane of glass at Matamoros’ city jail. “It was an accident.”
The soldier was to report for active duty Friday. Instead he is scheduled to appear in court today.
Investigators insist Reyes and his passengers were all intoxicated at the time of the wreck. Under Mexican law, intoxicated drivers can be prosecuted for manslaughter if they kill another person in an accident.
Investigators told The Herald in a previous interview that they found more than 20 empty bottles of beer in his truck.
Reyes claims he was sober Sunday night.
“There was no alcohol involved,” he said. “That’s what they’re trying to pin on me.”
Instead, Reyes blamed the highway’s design and construction for the accident, which occurred near the city’s Wal-Mart at the intersection of Avenidas Manuel C. Lerma and V. Garza Ruiz.
“It was a bad bridge with bad curves. … They don’t know how to make (roads) here,” he said.
It was not clear Wednesday how or if the charges or the arrest will affect Reyes’ enlistment, but U.S. Army officials said they would stay on top of the case.
Officials said Reyes was a member of the 1st Cavalry Division, but could not verify which unit or how long Reyes had served in the Army.
Deputy spokesman Maj. Philip Smith said the division had returned from Iraq between January and early April. But Reyes said he had only been in the 515th Forward Support Battalion for four months and had not been deployed overseas.
Smith said the Army has been in contact with U.S. Consulate officials in Matamoros but could not provide the soldier with any legal assistance.
“The military does not provide assistance if he is not charged in a military court,” Smith said.
U.S. Consul John Naland said the Matamoros Consulate could not provide any legal assistance either, but had visited the soldier in jail and given a list of licensed Mexican attorneys to his family.
Naland said a Mexican judge would decide how to proceed in the case by Monday.
schapa@brownsvilleherald.com
I can't imagine why anyone would want to visit Mexico.
Lots of military on liberty swing down to Tiajuana. Always a bad call.
Aw c'mon...donde esta el burro?
Aw, cmon. It's a great place to visit as a tourist. I'm sure there are bad places though...for gringos at least.
Juarez too
"They have roads?"
*rolls eyes*
There is no valid reason to EVER leave this country except for military duty.
Why in the name of God would anyone travel to this narco-terrorist state?
$30,000 for manslaughter, especially if they know you have money.
He is "toast". In Mexico:
You do not have the right to:
A. an attorney.
B. food and bed while in jail. Most inmates are required to pay.
C. a presumtion of innocence. In about one to six months, he will get a chance to prove that he is not guilty.
When a Mexican Official testifies gainst a "Norte" or "gringo", guess who the Mexican judge is going to hold as credibile.
Perhaps with the exception of seeing the Ring Cycle performed at the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth.
What? Where? Are you from this planet? :)
Hey, if one of your family members dies in Mexico you have to pay bribes to the local officials to get the body shipped back to the States for burial.
Norte Americanos are seen as fat cats to be shook down for any reason. And why shouldn't they consider us stupid, gullible, and easy? It's not like our government is going to complain...
IOW, Reyes better have a lot money behind him, no matter if he's lily white innocent.
Mexico is extremely dangerous and getting more so every year. Only a fool would travel there.
LOL. The funny part is I don't speak spanish, but I know the burro act.
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