ALAMOSA — A man charged with three felony counts following a fatal accident will be in court for his preliminary hearing August 5.

Jonathen Michael Lopez, 20, driver of the vehicle, and the front seat passenger, Celso Cesar Ruiz, 22, both from Center, were thrown from the vehicle. A third passenger, Sarah Rodriguez, 19, was in the back seat and was wearing a seatbelt.

All three were transported to the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center (SLVRMC).

Ruiz was declared dead on arrival at SLVRMC by deputy county coroner Robert Alejo.

The accident occurred about two miles west of Alamosa on Colorado Highway 160 right after midnight on the morning of April 11. According to a witness the vehicle passed him at a speed that he estimated at over 100 miles per hour moments before the driver lost control of the car. He said the driver almost lost control of the car while passing him.

According to the court affidavit, the car ran off the north side of Hwy. 160, hit a delineator pole, crossed both lanes and ran off the south side of Hwy. 160, rolled over one and a half times, and ended up resting on the roof, facing east.

Investigators said the car’s speed at the time of the accident was somewhere between 90 and 100 miles per hour.

A search warrant was obtained by the owner of the vehicle, who had loaned the car to Lopez so he could look for a job. Officers found a small amount of marijuana in the car. They had already found a glass pipe on the ground beside the driver’s door at the accident scene.

The officer who interviewed Lopez at the hospital reported that his breath smelled of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and that his speech was slurred.

Rodriguez told investigators that she, Lopez, and Ruiz had several drinks at a residence in Center.

She said they drove to Othelo’s, a restaurant and bar at the corner of State Ave. and Fourth St. in Alamosa, where they had several more drinks. She said when they left Othelo’s Lopez was driving the car.

Only one person in the accident, the man who died, was legally old enough to drink.

Lopez’ charges included three felony counts: one count of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or a combination of drugs and alcohol, a third class felony; one count of vehicular homicide, driving in a reckless manner, a class four felony; and manslaughter for unlawfully, feloniously and recklessly causing death, a class four felony.

The Alamosa city council voted May 26 to revoke Othelo’s liquor license after a stabbing occurred in the restaurant’s parking lot.

Alamosa Police Chief John Jackson requested the revocation because of incidents occurring at the restaurant. These incidents included under-aged drinking, officer assaults, and attempted homicide.