AVOCA, AR, (March 26, 2026) — Two people were killed in a crash involving an alleged drunken driver Thursday afternoon near Avoca in Benton County.
According to Arkansas State Police, Michael Cordes was operating a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with passenger Freda Cordes when the vehicle was struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Jose Luis Gamez at about 12:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 62 at Russell Road.
Investigators said the collision occurred when the Tahoe entered the motorcycle’s path.
Michael Cordes, 70, and Freda Cordes, 67, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Gamez was arrested and faces two counts of negligent homicide, one count of first-offense DWI, and one count of improper entry or exit at an intersection. Authorities said he is also being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The crash remains under investigation.
