Lincoln driver involved in crash that left two dead arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, police say (2024)

The Lincoln Police Department has arrested the driver involved in a crash that killed two Lincoln men early Sunday morning, police say.

The driver, 34-year-old Grabiel Revilla of Lincoln, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was released from the hospital Monday afternoon and arrested on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter.

Omar Rios, 23, and Darien Rosales, 21, both of Lincoln, were pronounced dead at the scene, Capt. Todd Kocian said.

At about 5:45 a.m., officers were called to the area of South 28th Street and Pine Lake Road on a report of a single-vehicle crash involving three people.

Police say a Honda Pilot that Revilla was driving was speeding west on Pine Lake Road when it left the north side of the road, rolled and collided with a tree, throwing one of the passengers from the vehicle.

Revilla was charged Tuesday with two counts of manslaughter.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Revilla was discovered by first responders unconscious in the driver seat with an odor of alcohol on his person, police say.

A preliminary breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of .119%, more than double the legal limit.

Judge Timothy Phillips did not allow a bond.

Revilla is being held at the Lancaster County jail.

LPD is asking any witnesses to this crash to contact them at 402-441-6000 or call Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.

The crash was part of a four-day stretch on Nebraska roadways in which 10 people were killed in seven crashes, three of which resulted in double fatalities.

Nebraska has now recorded 71 traffic fatalities this year, including 16 in April. The 71 fatalities represent a 29% increase over the 55 reported at this time in 2023. It's also a 28% increase over the five-year average from 2019 to 2023.

“With the weather getting nice and more people on the road, we all need to buckle up, put our phones down and 'drive for real,'" said Bill Kovarik, Nebraska highway safety administrator.

Zoey Watson, 17, of Battle Creek, in northeast Nebraska, was one of the people who died on the state's roads. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said Watson died from injuries she received in a crash Saturday about seven miles south of Battle Creek at the intersection of 547th Avenue and 832nd Road.

Investigators determined that a 2016 Chevrolet SUV was southbound on 547th Avenue at 10:50 a.m. when it T-boned a Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Watson that was eastbound on 832nd road. Watson was ejected from the pickup and pinned underneath it.

A 15-year-old boy who was a passenger in the pickup was also ejected and found about 30 yards from the vehicle. Watson and the boy were both flown to the Nebraska Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

The 17-year-old female driver of the SUV and the 15-year-old boy in the pickup were wearing seat belts. Investigators said it's believed Watson was not wearing a seat belt.

The other fatal crashes were:

* Kyle Arnold and Ross Lewis died in a two-vehicle crash involving a suspected wrong-way drunken driver Saturday on Interstate 80 in Omaha. Maison King, 25, is alleged to have been driving eastbound in a westbound lane.

* Jerry and Karen Sievers, a husband and wife from Norfolk, died Sunday when the motorcycle they were riding collided with another vehicle on Nebraska 35 in Wayne County. They were both pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said Shawn Wiedeman was westbound on Nebraska 35 at the intersection with 566th Avenue. Wiedeman was stopped, yielding to traffic so he could turn south onto 566th Avenue.

The couple were on a westbound Honda trike motorcycle, driven by Jerry Sievers, 65. The trike struck the rear portion of Wiedeman's vehicle. A passenger in Wiedeman's vehicle was taken to Faith Regional Hospital and treated and released for minor injuries.

* Bennett Roberts, 50, of Omaha, also died Sunday in a motorcycle collision with another vehicle. Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene when another vehicle turned in front of him on Nebraska 92 near Mead.

* Ceresco Police Officer Ross Bartlett died Friday on U.S. 77. Bartlett, 54, was performing a traffic stop at 7:37 p.m. near the intersection of U.S. 77 and Little Salt Road when his cruiser was struck from behind by a truck.

* The Douglas County Sheriff's Office on Monday identified a 69-year-old man who was killed in a crash involving a dump truck west of Bennington on Thursday at about 3:15 p.m. Investigators said that Morris L. Combs died in the crash at North 240th Street and Nebraska 36.

A Chevrolet Sonic driven by Combs and a Sterling dump truck driven by Timothy Madden, 51, of Omaha, were both heading eastbound on Nebraska 36 when the dump truck attempted to turn left onto North 240th Street.

The dump truck was hit by the Chevy, which was attempting to pass in the westbound lane. Combs was pronounced dead at the scene and Madden was not injured.

The Omaha World-Herald contributed to this story.