Police: Arkansan who said he couldn't stop in time charged with homicide in fatal wreck

An Arkansas man accused of driving while intoxicated at the time of a fatal wreck Sunday night faces a negligent homicide charge, authorities said.

About 10:45 p.m., Blytheville police responded to a wreck at the intersection of Ruddle Road and Cherry Street, the department said in a news release.

Ray McLaurin, 51, was driving west on Cherry Street in a 2004 Dodge Stratus, then stopped at a stop sign and pulled out into the path of a 2012 Nissan Altima driving north on Ruddle Road, police said. The vehicles collided, and McLaurin died at the scene.

A breathalyzer test determined that the Altima's driver, 31-year-old Joshua Wilson, had a blood-alcohol content of .12, which is one and a half times the legal limit, the release states.

Wilson reportedly told authorities he had been driving about 45 mph and was unable to stop when the Stratus pulled into his path.

According to a preliminary state police report, it was raining at the time of the crash.

The Blytheville resident was free on $100,000 bond from the Mississippi County jail as of Friday afternoon, records show. He is scheduled to appear in court June 29.

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