FORNEY, Texas — A Forney teacher was arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with a fatal, high-speed crash that occurred last month in Dallas.
FORNEY, Texas — A Forney teacher was arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with a fatal, high-speed crash that occurred last month in Dallas.
24-year-old Rickala Chaffold was arrested yesterday after investigators with the Dallas Police Department obtained an arrest warrant charging her with manslaughter.
According to a crash report, obtained by inForney.com, on February 22, 2021, at approximately 8:29 p.m., Chaffold was driving a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA westbound in the 3100 block of the LBJ TEXpress, or Interstate Highway 635.
Multiple motorcycles were ahead of Chaffold, across the three lanes of the TEXpress, when she made impact with two of the motorcycles in the left lane, according to the report.
The driver of one of the motorcycles, identified as 16-year-old Atreyu "Trey" Gowen of Mesquite, Texas, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second motorcyclist, 28-year-old Paul Arnett of Dallas, Texas, was seriously injured in the crash and transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Using video surveillance, investigators determined, based on the time and distance traveled, Chaffold was driving at 117 miles per hour six seconds prior to the crash. The two motorcyclist were determined to have been traveling at 72 miles per hour, states the report.
Dallas police officers arrested Chaffold yesterday at Forney High School, where she was employed. She was booked into the Dallas County Jail where her bond was set at $15,000.
"Allegedly, a staff member was involved in an auto-accident that occurred off campus and after hours," Forney Independent School District spokesperson Kristin Zastoupil told inForney.com. "Upon learning of the incident and charges, the person was immediately placed on administrative leave."
Chaffold, according to the district, had been employed there since August 20, 2020.
In addition to the crash report, inForney.com has requested the arrest warrant affidavit in the case.