Driver charged with homicide after fatal crash kills ex-judge and two others

A 23-year-old man faces charges of negligent homicide after a devastating head-on collision on Route PY06 claimed the lives of three women, one of whom was a former judge. The incident occurred Sunday morning near kilometer 25 of the highway in Capitán Miranda, Itapúa.

The accused, Saddan Hammoudi Garay, was driving a Chevrolet S10 pickup truck when it collided with a Geely Coolray sedan. The sedan was driven by former judge Laura María Benítez Núñez, 53, who died at the scene. Her companions, Mónica María Guadalupe Otazu Araujo, 26, and Erica Tamary Griffith Paredes, 22, also succumbed to their injuries.

Prosecutor Francisco Martínez has formally charged Hammoudi Garay, citing high-speed and reckless driving as the cause of the crash. While the accused stated that water on the road caused him to lose control and swerve into the oncoming lane, police reports and surveillance footage indicate excessive speed. An alcohol test administered to Hammoudi Garay returned negative results. He is currently detained awaiting a decision from the Guarantee Criminal Court.