Docs: Fort Bliss soldier charged in fatal crash says he drank ‘a lot’ before passing out

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Fort Bliss soldier who was charged in connection to a fatal car crash last Saturday night, Nov. 2, in East El Paso, was coming from a gender reveal party when the crash happened, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.

Court documents say Juan Francisco Del Valle, 23, assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, is facing two counts of intoxication manslaughter after allegedly driving drunk and crashing into a vehicle, killing two people.

Just before midnight that Saturday, according to court documents, Del Valle was traveling eastbound on Rojas Drive in a grey Honda SUV and had disregarded a stop sign at the intersection of Bill Burnett and Rojas Drive at a high rate of speed.

Del Valle then accelerated as he approached the intersection of Eastlake and Rojas and allegedly ran a red light. At the same time, Rick Ballard, 29, and Dalia Olivas, 28, were traveling northbound on Eastlake Boulevard in a black Mercedes and were struck by Del Valle, according to court documents.

Ft. Bliss soldier charged in fatal East El Paso DWI crash

Court documents say Del Valle struck the Mercedes on the driver’s side, causing the Mercedes to spin and crash into a traffic signal light poll. Ballard died after he was ejected from the crash, and Olivas was transported to a hospital, where she later died as a result of her injuries.

Deputies who responded to the crash smelled an odor of alcohol coming from Del Valle. A deputy asked Del Valle how much he had to drink, to which he replied, “A lot,” and then passed out, according to court documents. The deputy also noticed Del Valle was wearing a baby blue wristband from a gender reveal party.

Law enforcement at the scene saw extensive front-end damage from the vehicle Del Valle was driving, along with the engine being thrown out from the car due to the force of impact, according to court documents.

KTSM reached out to Fort Bliss regarding the crash, to which they provided the following statement:

“A Soldier assigned to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, was arrested for his involvement in a multi-vehicle crash that resulted in two fatalities on Nov. 2. Sgt. Juan Del Valle was charged with two counts of intoxicated manslaughter. The division fully cooperates with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office as they continue their investigation. We appreciate our first responders and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office’s swift response at the scene.”

Fort Bliss also said their leadership is “deeply saddened by this tragedy and its impact on the El Paso community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those involved in the accident,” said Maj: Gen. Curtis Taylor, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss. “We remain committed to a robust driver education program focused on responsible driving habits that begins the first week Soldiers arrive at Fort Bliss. 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.”

Del Valle is in Sheriff’s custody and will be booked into the El Paso County jail under a $520,000 bond.

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