Madras man jailed on criminally negligent homicide, DUII charges in fatal crash
One of two passengers, a 19-year-old from Culver, was killed early Saturday AM
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 22-year-old Madras man was arrested on criminally negligent homicide, DUII-alcohol and other charges after a crash early Sunday morning that killed one of his two passengers, a 19-year-old Culver resident, police said.
Madras police, Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police responded around 1:40 a.m. to a reported crash in the area of Highway 97 and NE Poplar Street, Madras police Sgt. Mel Brown said.
A preliminary investigation determined that Steve Austin Ruiz, 22, of Madras, was driving a 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia southbound on Highway 97, accompanied by two passengers, when he lost control of the car near Poplar Street, Brown said. It left the road to the west of Highway 97, partially destroying a fence and coming to rest in the McDonald’s parking lot.
One of the passengers, Martin Negrete-Farias Jr., 19, of Culver, died at the scene of his injuries, the sergeant said. The other passenger, Genesis Quiroz, 19, of Madras, was treated and released.
Ruiz was treated at St. Charles Madras and released a short time later, at which time he was arrested by Madras police and taken to the Jefferson County Jail on charges of criminally negligent homicide, DUII-alcohol, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person. He is due to make his first appearance Monday afternoon in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
“Alcohol and speed are believed to have played a role in this crash,” Brown said in a news release, adding that anyone with information that could be related to the case is urged to contact the Madras Police Department at 541-475-2424 or Frontier Dispatch at 541-475-2201.
