Cass County officials say a Lincoln man was behind the wheel of a vehicle that ran a stop sign and struck a car near Greenwood on Tuesday night. The sheriff’s department says in happened just after 8:00 p.m. at Highway 63 and Church Road.
Sheriff Robert Sorenson says a Honda Accord driven by 34 year old Hugo Buendia-Valverde of Lincoln ran a stop sign and was struck by a pickup driven by a 22 year old Omaha man. An arriving deputy found one passenger, 28 year old Ricardo Jimenez-Beltran, had been thrown from the Honda and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Buendia-Valverde and a back-seat passenger, 39 year old Alejandro Valverde-Jimenez also died at the scene. The sheriff’s department says a third passenger, 40 year old Isaac Valverde-Arroyo, had a faint pulse but died before paramedics could transport him to the hospital.
The sheriff says it appears all four were not wearing seat belts and that alcohol was a factor in the crash. An autopsy has been ordered for Buendia-Valverde. The other driver was given a preliminary breath test by the NSP at the scene and he tested negative for alcohol. He was taken to an Omaha hospital for a blood draw.
The crash is still being investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
(Photo: Cass County Sheriff’s Office)