A 19-year-old driver in Oregon allegedly caused a fatal crash while intoxicated, killing a teenage passenger and seriously injuring another. Oscar Regis faces multiple charges including manslaughter after speeding and threatening others on the road. The incident occurred on February 9 in Hillsboro.
On February 9, around 8:42 p.m., Oscar Regis, then 19, was driving a Chevrolet Malibu in Hillsboro, Oregon, when he crashed into a large light pole at 76 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to a probable cause affidavit. The vehicle data confirmed the speed seconds before impact. Regis had met passenger Jackson Greenfell and a female passenger that evening for the first time, prosecutors said.
Greenfell, seated in the back, suffered fatal injuries including intubation, a breathing tube, and a likely brain bleed, succumbing at a local hospital. The female passenger in the back seat endured a cheekbone fracture requiring surgery, other facial fractures, a broken spine, and a concussion. Metal plates were inserted into her face during the procedure.
"These injuries are going to be lifelong," the girl's mother testified at a detention hearing. "The trauma she has suffered is extraordinary."
Prior to the crash, a 911 call reported the Malibu driving recklessly westbound on Tualatin Valley Highway near 185th Avenue, splitting lanes and passing vehicles about five minutes earlier. Regis's rampage included speeds up to 99 mph and threatening a motorist with a gun at a red light. He drank cans of Four Loko while driving and admitted to consuming Modelo beer afterward, showing signs of impairment like glossy eyes, alcohol odor, and thick speech.
The front-seat passenger, a friend of Regis, owned the vehicle but let him drive despite knowing he was impaired. "[The friend] said Oscar far exceeded the speed limit prior to the crash," the affidavit states.
Regis sustained no injuries and fled on foot, later found wearing a black and white letterman jacket with blood on the right elbow. In a post-crash interview, he said, "What have I done?" and recalled his father warning him about such behavior.
Greenfell's mother, Tanya LaBarr-Green, stated in court, "The loss of our child has left a permanent void in our lives that can never be filled. His life was stolen because of a series of deliberate and conscious choices."
At the Friday detention hearing, Washington County Circuit Judge Oscar Garcia denied bond, saying, "This is an extremely, beyond reckless incident. I have no confidence that any of these conditions would somehow keep the community safe."
Regis, now 20, faces charges of manslaughter, assault, driving under the influence, and reckless endangerment. Weeks earlier, he allegedly sideswiped a car in his stepmother's Mini Cooper and fled without charges. He admitted to associating with a group that stole and crashed Kia vehicles, calling it normal to run from crashes. A status hearing is set for March 6.
