Inset: Crash victim Jackson Greenfell (GoFundMe). Background: The Chevrolet Malibu that Oscar Regis was allegedly driving “recklessly” when he killed passenger Jackson Greenfell (Hillsboro Police Department).
An Oregon 19-year-old drunk on Four Loko killed a teen passenger while driving “recklessly” with the victim and two others before he crashed into a pole going 76 mph in a 35 mph zone, cops and prosecutors say.
Oscar Regis allegedly went on a road rampage that included driving at speeds up to 99 mph, threatening a motorist at a red light with a gun, and drinking cans of Four Loko while behind the wheel. A probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime says he was splitting lanes and passing other vehicles in a Chevrolet Malibu before slamming into a “large light pole.”
Jackson Greenfell, whom Regis met earlier that Monday evening, was sitting in the back seat and suffered fatal injuries. Greenfell was “intubated, had a breathing tube, and likely had a brain bleed” before he succumbed to the injuries at a local hospital, the affidavit says.
A girl who was sitting in the back with Greenfell suffered a cheekbone fracture that required surgery and other facial fractures, as well as a broken spine and concussion. She reportedly had to have metal plates inserted into her face as a result of the surgery.
“These injuries are going to be lifelong,” the girl”s mother testified at a Friday detention hearing for Regis, according to The Oregonian. “The trauma she has suffered is extraordinary,” the mom said.
Regis, who was 19 at the time of the crash and is now 20, was ordered to remain in jail without bond pending a criminal trial following the fatal crash in Hillsboro, which happened on Feb. 9. He is facing numerous charges, including manslaughter, assault, driving under the influence and recklessly endangering other people.
A detective who testified during the Friday hearing recounted speaking with Regis afterward.
“What have I done?” Regis allegedly proclaimed.
“He then talked about how his father had recently told him that something like this was going to happen if he continued his behavior,” the detective recalled, according to The Oregonian.
Regis did not suffer any injuries in the crash and allegedly fled from the scene on foot. He had a “black and white letterman jacket” on that night that had “blood on the right elbow” when cops found him, the affidavit says.
A person on the road called 911 approximately five minutes prior to the crash and allegedly reported seeing a Chevrolet Malibu driving “recklessly westbound when it split lanes and passed other vehicles” on Tualatin Valley 49 Highway near 185th Avenue in Washington County. Police were called to the scene of the crash at around 8:42 p.m., per the affidavit.
One of the passengers, described by prosecutors as a friend of Regis’ who was sitting in the front seat of the Malibu, told cops it was his vehicle but he “knew he was too impaired by alcohol to drive, so he let Oscar drive prior to the crash,” according to the affidavit.
“[The friend] said Oscar far exceeded the speed limit prior to the crash,” the affidavit alleges.
Prosecutors said Friday that Regis met both Greenfell and the female passenger for the first time that evening. He was allegedly drinking cans of Four Loko in the car while driving and admitted to cops he also consumed Modelo beer after exhibiting signs of impairment “including glossy eyes, odor of alcoholic beverage, and thick speech,” the affidavit says.
“The loss of our child has left a permanent void in our lives that can never be filled,” said Tanya LaBarr-Green, Greenfell’s mother, in court Friday. “His life was stolen because of a series of deliberate and conscious choices.”
Car data from the Malibu allegedly showed that Regis was going 76 mph in a 35 mph zone seconds before the crash. Regis’ defense attorney, Ryan Anfuso, called for his release with strict security conditions, but Washington County Circuit Judge Oscar Garcia reportedly rejected the argument.
“This is an extremely, beyond reckless incident,” Garcia said. “I have no confidence that any of these conditions would somehow keep the community safe.”
Prosecutors noted in court how just weeks before the crash, Regis allegedly sideswiped a car while driving his stepmother’s Mini Cooper. He was accused of fleeing from the scene of that crash, as well, but he was not criminally charged.
Regis admitted to cops that he used to hang out with a group of kids who would steal and crash Kia vehicles and that it’s “normal for him to run from crashes,” according to The Oregonian.
He is due back in court for a status hearing on March 6.
