Howard County crash results in one death, Big Spring man arrested for intoxicated manslaughter

HOWARD COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- A fatal Thursday night crash in Howard County resulted in one person’s death and another person’s arrest.

According to the Texas Department of Public Saftey, the crash occurred at 9:22 p.m. on Thursday, July 25 on US 87, Mile Marker 374 in Howard County, after 64-year-old driver Jose Gonzales from Ackerly parked northbound on the shoulder of the roadway on US 87.

Reports showed that Gonzales, who was parked on the side of the roadway, was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS after 41-year-old driver from Big Spring, Jason Earnest Key, crashed into the back of Gonzales’s parked vehicle.

According to the arrest affidavit report, when investigators arrived, Gonzales’s vehicle had been overturned and Keys, who was described as having “slurred speech and water, blood-shot eyes” had open alcoholic beverages in his vehicle and admitted to having had an alcoholic beverage during the day but refused to do a standard field sobriety test.

Officers reported that after receiving a search warrant, took keys to Scenic Mountain Medical Center to conduct a blood draw.

Upon further investigation by Texas Highway Patrol and Howard County officials, Key was found to be intoxicated resulting in his arrest and booking into Howard County Jail the following morning, on July 26- for intoxicated manslaughter and unlawful carrying of a weapon with a combined surety bond of $30,000 ($25,000 for manslaughter and $5,000 for unlawful carrying of a weapon.)

According to the Howard County Jail inmate information, Key also had five previous arrests and charges ranging from- driving while intoxicated in 2000, driving with an invalid license in 2006, animal at large in 2011, issuance of a bad check/theft in 2012, and public intoxication in 2015.

The Howard County jail inmate information has listed Key as having been released from the detention center the same day, July 26, 2024.

This crash is reported to remain under investigation, with no further information available at this time.

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