EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The 31-year-old El Paso driver arrested for the fiery I-10 crash that knocked down a traffic sign blamed his wife for the wreck, despite her not being there.
On Dec. 21, Andres Rubio was arrested in connection with a dramatic, fiery crash that destroyed an overhead sign on I-10 east near Geronimo and sent him and two other people to the hospital (Rubio, Rubio’s passenger and an innocent bystander).
RELATED: Driver arrested for intoxication assault after fiery I-10 crash knocks down sign
Rubio was charged with intoxication assault with a vehicle with serious bodily injury, as police believe he recklessly drove a white Ford Raptor pickup truck.
Police said witnesses described first seeing Rubio’s white pickup truck entering I-10 east through Raynolds fast and zig zagging from the entrance to the far-most-left lane (almost crashing into the concrete barrier) to the far-most-right lane crashing into a maroon Ford Explorer SUV (and almost hitting a second vehicle) before crashing through the concrete barrier and rolling off the freeway and onto Gateway East ending up upside down, wheels-up.
Vehicle rollover causes fire on I-10 east, highway sign knocked down in crash (credit: George Cruz)
According to the arrest report, Rubio reportedly admitted to drinking that day, describing that he had three beers, a ranch water and an unknown bottle of alcohol at around 11:30 a.m. at a bar on Tularosa Avenue in Central El Paso, adding that he stopped drinking at noon.
However, Rubio also told investigators that he wasn’t behind the wheel of his truck and instead claimed his wife was driving.
In their investigation, however, authorities said no woman was seen, either leaving the scene or being rescued from the wreck.
In the arrest report, investigators also detail that they spoke with a passenger who was riding with Rubio.
According to investigators, in the hospital, the passenger said that he and Rubio had been drinking at Coconuts, on the corner of Piedras Street and Tularosa Avenue in Central El Paso, before the crash and said that Rubio was driving, adding that he fell asleep in the passenger seat and only awoke after the crash.
RELATED: Vehicle rollover causes fire on I-10 east, highway sign knocked down in crash
The arrest report also lists the serious injury an innocent bystander suffered on his back due to the crash.
According to the report, the bystander, who was driving the SUV that Rubio’s truck smashed into, suffered approximately five lumbar transverse fractures.
Vehicle rollover causes fire on I-10 east, highway sign knocked down in crash (credit: Fitfam)
Authorities described Rubio’s and his passenger’s injuries as minor.
Jail records show Rubio was booked into the El Paso County Downtown Jail on Dec. 24 under a $75,000 bond.
According to jail records, Rubio was released the same day after posting a surety bond.
Mugshot of Andres Rubio. Credit: EPPD
Video of the crash, showing the pickup truck zig-zagging through traffic and the fiery wreck afterward, was shared on the popular social media account therealfitfamelpaso.
WATCH:
Dashcam: Vehicle rollover causes fire on I-10 east, highway sign knocked down in crash (credit: Fitfam)
Vehicle rollover causes fire on I-10 east, highway sign knocked down in crash (credit: Fitfam)
Vehicle rollover causes fire on I-10 east, highway sign knocked down in crash (credit: Fitfam)
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