July 9, 2025
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On Monday, July 7, 2025, Washington County Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor sentenced Alexander Rios-Rodriguez, 28, of Russellville, to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections following his guilty plea to Negligent Homicide and three counts of Second-Degree Battery stemming from a fatal drunk driving accident.
The crash occurred on January 14, 2024, around 4:30 a.m. Rios-Rodriguez was driving a Toyota Camry eastbound in the westbound lane of the Fulbright Expressway in Fayetteville when he collided head-on with a 2009 Chevrolet Equinox. The Equinox, operated by a rideshare driver, was carrying three passengers, including a 12-year-old girl who was killed in the crash. The driver and the other two passengers, as well as Rios-Rodriguez and his passenger, were critically injured.
Arkansas State Police (ASP) Troopers collected a blood sample from Rios-Rodriguez. which revealed a blood-alcohol level of 0.13. Judge Taylor sentenced Rios-Rodriguez to 20 years for Negligent Homicide, which is the maximum sentence allowed by law, and 10 years for each battery charge. The sentences will be served concurrently.
ASP, Fayetteville Police Department, and Washington County Coroner’s Office conducted the investigation into the incident.
“These maximum sentences would not have been reached without the outstanding work by the Arkansas State Police in this investigation,” said Washington County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Denis Dean. “Rios-Rodriguez had a skilled team of lawyers, but they could not overcome the evidence, or the proper procedures used to obtain that evidence.”