An undocumented immigrant has been charged with four counts of murder after allegedly driving the wrong way on a highway while intoxicated and crashing into another vehicle, as reported by Oklahoma authorities on Tuesday.
Michael Rosario-Cruz, 27, was released from the hospital and subsequently booked into Canada County Jail on multiple charges. These include four counts of second-degree murder, two counts of driving under the influence resulting in serious injury, transporting an open container, possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm while intoxicated, and wrong-way driving.
Details from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol indicate that Rosario-Cruz was driving west in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 in Canadian County when she collided head-on with another car early Friday morning.
This crash resulted in the other vehicle bursting into flames, tragically killing all four occupants, who were reportedly aged between 18 and 20.
The victims have been identified as Kersey Hixon, 20; Quincy Jones, 19; and two 18-year-olds, Harry Salazar and Brad Palmer.
The Highway Patrol emphasized in a social media post that driving while impaired is a reckless choice with life-altering consequences. “The loss of these young lives will have a lasting impact on countless families, friends, and communities,” they stated.
A representative from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol also mentioned that Rosario-Cruz is under a detention request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which means they will be notified upon her release to initiate deportation proceedings.
Details about when Rosario-Cruz entered the United States or her country of origin remain unclear.
The four victims were honored at a vigil held at El Reno High School, where three of them had just graduated. A former teacher, Nancy Salsman, noted that three of the victims were once her students. “You just create a connection that will never go away,” she shared with a news outlet. “They’re always your children. And when something like this happens, we stand together.”
