Suspect told police he hadn't been drinking prior to fatal car wreck: affidavit

DALLAS - The suspect in a drunk-driving crash on Singleton Boulevard gave police conflicting reports about whether he'd been drinking that night, according to his arrest affidavit.

What we know:

31-year-old Joel Avalos was charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury after a drunk-driving accident Monday evening.

The three passengers in the sedan were taken to local hospitals. One victim, a 33-year-old man, died from his injuries. The other two victims were seriously injured, ranging from broken bones to brain injuries.

The arrest affidavit says Avalos told police officers conflicting reports on whether he'd been drinking that night, denying he had to police but telling hospital workers he had.

Avalos' blood alcohol content was around .26, according to the affidavit, more than three times the legal limit of .08. The affidavit also says Avalos wasn't wearing a seat belt during the crash.

Avalos also initially claimed he wasn't at fault, stating "I was driving, and the car crashed into me. I was coming from my friend's house by Kiest Park and headed home."

Multiple witnesses told police they saw Avalos' pickup truck run a red light before his car hit the victim's car.

The backstory:

On Feb. 1, a pickup truck driving on eastbound Singleton Boulevard in Dallas hit a sedan traveling on N. Hampton Road. The impact of the crash caused extreme damage to the sedan. 

Multiple people were pinned underneath one of the vehicles following the crash. Police used the jaws of life to cut through the driver's side of the sedan to get victims out.

Devon Mobley and his wife witnessed the crash in person and described the incident to FOX 4's David Sentendrey.

"It was one of the most horrific wrecks I've seen," Mobley said. "He was so off his rocks it was wild. He couldn’t keep eye contact though his eyes kept rolling. That’s how drunk he was."