A 28-year-old U.S. Navy petty officer accused of causing a three-vehicle crash that killed a beloved Slaton teacher and injured others in March was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury.
Bode Arnold is charged with counts of intoxication manslaughter, manslaughter, aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. All offenses are second-degree felonies that carry a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
Arnold's charges stem from a Texas Department of Public Safety investigation into a 10 p.m. March 28 three-vehicle crash near the intersection of FM 1585 and Avenue P that killed 72-year-old Leo Schneider and injured six other people.
According to a DPS news release, troopers responded to the
scene of the crash involving three vehicles.
An initial investigation indicated Arnold was driving a 2021 Ford Mustang eastbound on FM 1585 and rear ended a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup that was turning right onto Avenue P.
The impact sent the pickup into the westbound lanes of FM 1585. The pickup crashed head-on into the Nissan Armada driven by Schneider.
Schneider was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center where he died.
The driver and five passengers in the pickup truck suffered moderate injuries and were also taken by ambulance to UMC for treatment.
Arnold, who was uninjured, reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol before driving that night, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A standard field sobriety test reportedly yielded clues that indicated Arnold was intoxicated, the affidavit states.
During the hearing, Arnold's attorney, Travis Ware, argued that there was information that the crash was unavoidable.
"The alleged offense is intoxicated manslaughter, wherein it is believed that another vehicle caused the accident," Ware wrote in the motion.
Ware called on Arnold's mother, Mindy Neeley, who told the court her son called her after the crash and told her that the pickup truck, "pulled out going way too fast with way too many people in it."
Neely also told the court that her son was driving home from a friend's house where she believed he drank two beers.
Neely said her son was also at his father's house but told the court she didn't know if he had alcohol there as well.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Driver in fatal March crash south of Lubbock indicted
