Fort Bliss Soldier Drank ‘a Lot’ Before Crash that Killed Engaged Couple, Texas Cops Say

A U.S. Army soldier is facing charges after a late-night car crash left a Texas couple dead, officials told news outlets.

The crash happened before midnight Nov. 2, at an intersection in El Paso, McClatchy News reported. Rick Ballard, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his 28-year-old fiance, Dalia Olivas, died from her injuries at a hospital.

Officials at Fort Bliss, a military base in El Paso, said the driver of the other vehicle was one of their soldiers, television station KVIA reported.

Juan Francisco Del Valle Ferrer, 23, was driving drunk when the accident occurred, deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said, according to court documents obtained by television station KFOX. Deputies added that Ferrer, who was still wearing a blue wristband from a gender reveal party he attended, smelled strongly of alcohol and told first responders at the scene that he’d had “a lot” to drink that evening, the station reported.

The sheriff’s office has revealed few details about the crash, but court documents paint a devastating scene, KFOX reports, as deputies said one of Ballard’s legs was found inside his vehicle despite the fact he was ejected upon impact.

Family and friends say Ballard and Olivas planned to get married and move to Florida together, McClatchy reported. Olivas, who was an English teacher in El Paso, was “full of life and had a heart of gold,” her sister, Diana Villalobos, said in a GoFundMe.

Ferrer is charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter, each with a $260,000 bond, jail records show.

Officials at Fort Bliss said they are “deeply saddened” by the incident and by its “impact on the El Paso community,” KVIA reported.

“We remain committed to a robust driver education program focused on responsible driving habits that begins the first week Soldiers arrive to Fort Bliss,” Major General Curtis Taylor said in a statement, the station reported. “We will continue frequent safety checks across the installation to encourage safe driving practices and promote ridesharing opportunities. We remain engaged with community leaders and local law enforcement to improve the safety of the Fort Bliss and El Paso communities.”

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