Man sentenced to nearly 26 years in prison after killing 4 in drunken driving crash

MARION COUNTY Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) - Authorities in Oregon said a man will serve more than 25 years in prison after killing four people in a drunken driving crash.

According to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, 25-year-old Enrique Rodriguez Jr. crashed into a homeless camp on March 27, 2022, in downtown Salem.

KPTV reports Rodriguez Jr. had a suspended driver’s license at the time of the crash and was found to have a blood alcohol content of .224%. The legal limit in Oregon is .08%.

The district attorney’s office identified the four people killed as 24-year-old Jowand Beck, 21-year-old Luke Kagey, 54-year-old Joseph Posada and 29-year-old Rochelle Zamacona. Two others were also seriously injured.

Authorities said Rodriguez pleaded guilty in November to charges that included manslaughter, assault, drunken driving and reckless driving.

According to officials, the 25-year-old was sentenced Wednesday to serve 310 months, nearly 26 years, in prison.

Rodriguez has been held at the Marion County Jail since the crash but will be moving to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence, the district attorney’s office said.