Brookland, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A Paragould man is being held on a $100,000 cash/surety bond after police said he was involved in a fatal crash on Highway 49 in January, for which he now faces multiple charges, including negligent homicide.
District Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause Aug. 7 to charge 57-year-old Larry Gene Ray with the following offenses:
- Negligent homicide (Class B felony)
- Reckless driving (Class A misdemeanor)
- Driving while intoxicated (Class A misdemeanor)
- Possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance (Class A misdemeanor)
- Tampering with physical evidence (Class B misdemeanor)
- Obstruction of government operations (Class C misdemeanor)
The charges and arrest stem from an investigation into a fatal crash on Highway 49 on Jan. 21. Brookland police had requested assistance from Arkansas State Police.
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According to the probable cause affidavit, on Jan. 21, Brookland police officers advised Arkansas State Trooper Victor Garcia that witnesses the driver and passenger of a truck had switched seats and attempted to conceal an item in the tall grass near the truck. One of the men in the truck was identified as Ray.
While searching the tall grass near the truck, Garcia found a plastic package containing marijuana. An additional empty plastic package similar to the one in the grass was found inside the truck.
Ray was detained and taken to St. Bernards Medical Center to obtain a legal blood sample. Before the blood draw, a search warrant authorizing the collection of Ray’s blood was obtained and signed by a judge. After the blood draw, the sample was submitted to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for analysis.
On June 1, Garcia received the toxicology results, which indicated the presence of amphetamine, meth, and dextromethorphan in Ray’s blood when the sample was collected.
Ray was arrested and booked into the Craighead County Detention Center over two months later, on Aug. 4, the online jail roster shows. He is awaiting his next scheduled court appearance for Sept. 30.
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