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Man charged with DUI manslaughter crash that killed 3 pleads not guilty

Booking photo of Orlando Lopez Vazquez, who was taken into custody at the scene of a deadly DUI crash in Arlington. (WJXT)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Lopez Vazquez appeared for an arraignment Thursday morning on three counts of DUI manslaughter and a fourth count of DUI with property damage. A not guilty plea was entered through an interpreter.

Police say Vazquez, 40, was driving an F-250 on Aug. 24 when it slammed into a Honda Fit at the intersection of Merrill and Hartsfield Roads. Three members of a family in the Honda fit were killed in the crash.

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According to the arrest report, Vazquez was still behind the wheel of his truck when officers arrived. The report said when he got out of the vehicle, he was swaying, his eyes were bloodshot red, his speech was slurred and smelled of alcohol.

Witnesses told police that the F-250, which was going south in the northbound lanes of Hartsfield Road, blew through the red light at the Merrill Road intersection at 100 mph and T-boned the much smaller Honda Fit.

The next court date in this case is Oct. 25. Lopez Vazquez is being held without bond.


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