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Off-duty officer charged in connection to Jarrell fatal crash

An off-duty El Paso police officer has been booked into the Williamson County Jail on a DWI charge after a fatal crash in Jarrell on Tuesday morning, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirms.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of the story misspelled the charged man's last name. This story has been updated with the correct spelling.

An off-duty El Paso police officer has been booked into the Williamson County Jail on a DWI charge and unlawful carrying of a weapon after a fatal crash in Jarrell on Tuesday morning, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirms.

DPS identified the officer as Alan Dieguez, 26, and said he was behind the wheel of the 2015 Hyundai involved in the crash.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the crash that involved the Hyundai and three 18-wheelers happened on I-35 near Exit 275 at 2:03 a.m. Tuesday.

An arrest affidavit released Wednesday said Dieguez, who was traveling in the car with his brother and another person, was driving 100 miles per hour on I-35. Witnesses also reported seeing his vehicle weave in between lanes before he collided with an 18-wheeler.

The crash caused the Hyundai to travel off the highway into a grassy ditch on the east side of the roadway. A second 18-wheeler veered to miss debris in the roadway, lost control and skidded across the northbound lanes, stopping in a grass ditch and catching fire. A third 18-wheeler struck debris and also caught fire, DPS Trooper Robbie Barrera said.

One person died at the scene and three others, including Dieguez and his brother, were taken to Seton Medical Center Williamson. DPS identified the person killed as Dane Rutter, 56, of Stockdale, Texas.

According to the affidavit, evidence from the scene suggests Rutter exited his semi-trailer truck to possibly render aid to Dieguez and the other people inside the Hyundai. The report said he died after another truck skidded off the road and struck him.

The northbound lanes of I-35 were closed for several hours while crews cleared the scene. The road completely reopened around 11:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Police said Dieguez left the hospital before being tracked down by Round Rock police. When confronted by police, Dieguez said he was traveling from Austin to San Antonio and admitted to drinking a rum and coke before driving. However, he refused to perform a sobriety test and was arrested.

Dieguez's bond is set at $7,500.

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