EL PASO COUNTY, Texas — Deputies responded to a serious-injury crash early Saturday morning, Aug. 22, in the 900 block of O.T. Smith Road near Tornillo, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash was reported at about 2 a.m. Investigators determined that an off-road vehicle had been traveling north on a paved pedestrian walkway alongside O.T. Smith Road.
The walkway is intended for pedestrians and is not open to motor vehicles. According to investigators, pipe barriers had been installed along the center of the walkway to prevent vehicles from entering the area.
As the vehicle approached the barriers, the driver, identified as 40-year-old Edgar Amaya, lost control and struck one of the barriers.
Amaya’s front passenger suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Following the investigation, deputies arrested Amaya and charged him with driving while intoxicated. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility, where his bond was set at $5,000.
Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said the crash highlights the risks of operating off-road vehicles in areas not intended for them.
“Off-road vehicles are not designed for public roadways, sidewalks, or pedestrian walkways,” Ugarte said, adding that driving in those areas can put both operators and others at risk.
The Sheriff also urged drivers not to drink and drive, regardless of the type of vehicle they are operating.
The investigation remains ongoing.
