An undocumented noncitizen, Armin Rubido Gomez-Lopez, has been denied bond after being charged with reckless murder in a wrong-way DUI crash that killed Dr. Malcolm Goodchild, a prominent Columbus, Georgia, surgeon. On September 7, Gomez-Lopez drove a Toyota 4Runner the wrong way on a northbound ramp off Interstate 85, crashing head-on into a Tesla driven by Dr. Goodchild, whose vehicle caught fire. Dr. Goodchild later died from his injuries, while his wife survived with non-life-threatening injuries.

Gomez-Lopez, who was previously convicted of DUI in Lee County, was seriously injured and hospitalized for weeks before being arrested. Investigators found alcoholic beverages in his vehicle, and he smelled of alcohol at the scene, with blood alcohol results pending. The Opelika Police Department confirmed that Gomez-Lopez has an ICE detainer and remains in custody at the Lee County Detention Facility. The judge denied bond during a hearing under Aniah’s Law, which permits holding suspects without bail in serious cases.