Man charged in connection with fatal October crash in Papillion

PAPILLION, Neb. (WOWT) – The driver in a crash that killed his passenger last month is behind bars in Papillion.

Wade Harvey, 37, was arrested Thursday and booked into jail on a vehicular homicide charge in connection with a crash that killed 26-year-old Juan Guillen on Oct. 11.

According to the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office, officers were called to the scene in a Papillion subdivision off Highway 370 around 1:10 a.m. When they arrived, they found a Ram 1500 pickup truck that had crashed into a tree. Harvey sat in the driver's seat while Guillen sat on the passenger side.

Officials pronounced Guillen dead at the scene while medical personnel transported Harvey to the hospital with serious injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Harvey was traveling south on Richland Drive at the time of the accident. Surveillance footage from a nearby home showed the truck traveling at “excessive speeds, followed by a loud crashing sound,” according to SCSO. According to investigators, tire tracks on the road are consistent with the video evidence.

Both speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in this investigation. Authorities said Harvey failed to comply with a search warrant the night of the crash, making it more difficult for officers to determine whether he had been drinking alcohol. Subsequent search warrants led investigators to believe that alcohol was a factor in the accident.

The crash is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office at 402-593-1546.

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