Bliss soldier charged with intoxicated manslaughter

Bliss soldier charged with intoxicated manslaughter

Posted: June 14, 2008 09:27 PM EDT


EL PASO -- A Fort Bliss soldier is behind bars and one woman is dead after an early-morning crash Saturday.

Rodriguez Kemp, 19, allegedly plowed into four women with his pick-up truck as they were leaving the Chit Chat Lounge near the intersection of Dyer and Truman in Central El Paso.

Kemp -- a soldier stationed at Fort Bliss -- is charged with intoxicated manslaughter and two counts of intoxicated assault.

Police officials said the collision happened shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday.

According to Investigators, the four women were crossing Dyer right in front of the bar when they were struck by the soldier.

Claudia Lopez, 28, of the 12000 block of Saint Lawrence, was rushed to William Beaumont Army Medical Center. She died moments later.

Erika James, 26, of the 12000 block of Roadhouse; and Licia Kim, 28, of the 1900 block of Ratner were taken to Thomason Hospital with serious injuries.

Lashanda Delaney, of the 10000 block of Bob Stone, received non-life threatning injuries.

"When he realized he hit them, he came out with his hands up, he sat on the ground and that's when the police took him inside the club," said Leon Holt, who was walking the women to their cars across the street.

Holt told ABC-7 he kept on repeating the early-morning scene in his mind throughout the day.

He was holding one of the women by the hand and then she was no longer with him. "When I looked up, she let my hand go. So I don't know what's going on," said Holt, "I look to see what's going on or where she went. When I looked up, she was flying down the street."
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