Local Court News, (Central Nebraska Today)
LEXINGTON — A 2026 arraignment date has been set for a North Platte man facing charges of motor vehicle homicide following a fatal accident that occurred west of Lexington in September.
Jay Cooper, 23, is charged with motor vehicle homicide, a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Following a request for continuance, Judge Jeffrey Wightman set the new arraignment date for Jan. 7, 2026, at 9 a.m.
According to the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, around 3:38 a.m. the Dawson County 911 dispatch center received multiple calls about a motor vehicle accident quarter of a mile east of the intersection of Road 429 and Highway 30 west of Lexington.
Deputies arrived on scene and located a pickup and SUV both with heavy damage located in the north ditch.
Evidence located at the scene indicates an eastbound 1988 GMC pickup driven by Cooper of North Platte crossed the center line and struck a 2000 Honda CRV driven by Luis A. Hernandez-Zavala, 39, of Lexington.
Hernandez-Zavala was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cooper and another female passenger in the Honda CRV were transported to Lexington Regional Health Center and treated for injuries.
