Man killed on I-49 was changing tire

BENTONVILLE — Ricky Schwellinger was changing a flat tire on the shoulder of Interstate 49 when he was hit and killed by a man suspected of driving drunk, according to court documents.

Schwellinger, 46, was outside his vehicle at 10:35 p.m. Wednesday in Lowell when he was hit, according to Arkansas State Police.

A Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputy began CPR on Schwellinger until Lowell firefighters arrived.

Two vehicles were parked on the interstate’s outside shoulder, according to a report from the State Police. Another vehicle heading south veered off the road, sideswiped the other two and hit Schwellinger.

The crash occurred on the southbound side of the interstate just north of the West Monroe Avenue ramp.

The driver abandoned a white Ford pickup and left the scene on foot. Authorities didn’t have a good description of the driver but were able to learn who owned the pickup, according to court documents.

Randy Perea, 31, was identified as the registered owner and authorities began looking for him.

One deputy searched the area of Workman’s Travel Center on West Monroe in Lowell and showed Perea’s photograph to the store clerks. The deputy noticed a man in the store but couldn’t see his face. The clerk said it was the man in the photograph, according to the affidavit.

The deputy stopped Perea and asked him about his pickup on the side of the interstate. Perea claimed he owned a Dodge and didn’t know what the deputy was

talking about, according to the affidavit.

Clara Hidalgo, 31, a woman with Perea, initially told the deputy she was driving the pickup, but changed her story when told she faced a felony charge for leaving the scene. She said Perea asked her to come and pick him up from Workman’s, according to the affidavit.

Perea was taken to the Benton County Jail and submitted to a breath test at 1:11 a.m. Thursday resulting in 0.11 blood alcohol content.

The legal limit in Arkansas is 0.o8.

Perea was arrested in connection with negligent homicide, leaving the scene of personal injury accident, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving with injury or death. Prosecutors haven’t filed any formal charges against Perea.

He was being held in the county jail on a $150,000 bond Friday.

Perea’s arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 7 before Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green.

Perea