A Guatemalan national was killed Monday when he was struck along southbound Interstate 35 in Buda while inspecting his vehicle following a collision.
Authorities have arrested a Kyle man whom they suspect was intoxicated at the time of the wreck and began the chain reaction of events.
The incident, which involved a total of four vehicles, occurred around 1:30 a.m. Monday on southbound Interstate 35 at the 217 exit. A school bus towing a Honda CRV, driven by Marco Tulio Ovievo Rodas, 68, of Guatemala, was traveling down the highway when the towed vehicle was hit by a Honda Accord, driven by Ismael Rodriguez III, 29, of Kyle, said Brittany Tate, Buda Police Department (BPD) spokesperson.
The collision caused the Accord to come to a stop against a retaining wall, Tate said. Immediately following the collision, Ovievo Rodas pulled over to the side of the highway to inspect the bus and the CRV.
Shortly thereafter, a van drove by and, at some point, struck Ovievo Rodas. Tate said the driver of the van stopped at the scene.
Ovievo Rodas was pronounced deceased at 2:20 a.m. by Hays County Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace Scott Cary. The driver of the van was cleared by EMS officials and was uninjured.
Rodriguez was cleared by EMS and was later arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), a Class-B misdemeanor. Rodriguez was released from the Hays County Jail Monday on a personal recognizance bond.
Tate said BPD continues to investigate the incident.
