RICHMOND, IN — Indiana State Police troopers and officers with the Richmond Police Department arrested Rafael Lopez on Reckless Homicide charges Wednesday night.
Lopez is accused of causing a three-vehicle crash last week on Potter Shop Road near Centerville that killed 47-year-old Samuel Weller of Liberty.
The arrest warrant was carried out at a home on North 17th Street in Richmond just before 8:40 pm Wednesday.
Lopez was arrested without incident.
The Reckless Homicide charge is a Level 5 felony.
Lopez is also charged with Operating a Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a License (Prior), which is a Class A misdemeanor.
He is lodged in the Wayne County Jail.
Original story (published May 11, 2022) —
CENTERVILLE, IN — A Liberty man was killed in a three-vehicle crash that happened just before 5 pm Tuesday on Potter Shop Road west of Creek Road near Centerville.
A preliminary investigation by the Indiana State Police Reconstruction Team determined a 2008 Kawasaki motorcycle operated by 47-year-old Samuel Weller of Liberty was westbound on Potter Shop Road.
At the same time, a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan operated by 51-year-old Ericka Lundy of Richmond was eastbound on Potter Shop Road.
The Dodge Caravan was followed by a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox operated by 27-year-old Rafael Lopez of Richmond.
Indiana State Police say as the two vehicles approached a hill, the Equinox began to pass the Caravan in a marked, no-passing zone for eastbound traffic.
While passing, the Equinox collided head-on with the motorcycle which caused Weller to be thrown from the vehicle. After the collision, debris from the Kawasaki and the Equinox struck the left side of the Caravan and damaged it.
A trooper arriving on the scene began providing medical assistance to Weller. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene by the Wayne County Coroner.
Neither Lundy nor Lopez was injured.
Lopez was taken by State Police to Reed Health in Richmond to submit to a certified chemical test per the Indiana Implied Consent Law. During any serious bodily injury or fatal crash, operators of vehicles are required by law to submit to a chemical test. It was determined that Lopez was operating a vehicle without a valid Indiana driver’s license.
The investigation is ongoing, and when it is completed, all reports will be submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor for further review.
Potter Shop Road was closed for approximately four hours while the crash was being investigated.
Assisting at the crash scene were the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Reed EMS, the Abington and Centerville fire departments, Stamper Towing, and Wayne County Coroner James Jones.
