TEMPE, Ariz. – Law enforcement authorities in Arizona arrested a Nevada man on manslaughter charges after he reportedly participated in a street race before reaching speeds of more than 150 mph and crashing, splitting the car in half and killing both passengers inside his vehicle.
Derek Charles Franklin Glasscock, 32, of Las Vegas, was taken into custody Saturday morning by the Tempe Police Department. He is facing two counts of reckless manslaughter.
According to court documents, the sequence of events that led to the deadly crash began on Nov. 25 at about 1:35 a.m. when Tempe officers witnessed a street race.
Police tried to stop a Ford Mustang, later determined to be driven by Glasscock, which was participating in the street race with another vehicle near Rural Road. During the speed contest, police said the Mustang raced up to 100 mph in a 35-mph zone, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.
“The Ford Mustang fled from police and a pursuit was not initiated. Shortly after the Ford Mustang fled from police, a cloud of smoke was seen rising into the air,” court documents read. “It was discovered the same blue Ford Mustang had crashed on the east side of Rural Road, south of Broadway Road.”
In the moments prior to the horrific collision, investigators calculated the Mustang had reached a speed of 153 mph before Glasscock lost control of the muscle car. It flew off the road, went airborne and crashed into a power pole and two palm trees.
Due to the force of the impact, the Mustang split in half, killing two passengers, a man and a woman, who were both ejected.
According to investigators, Glasscock was pinned inside a portion of the demolished automobile. First responders rescued the man and transported him to a nearby hospital.
The male passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified by Tempe Police as 32-year-old Jesse Ruiz.
The female passenger was transported to a local hospital where she later died. Police identified her as 31-year-old Maria Rangel.
Rangel and Ruiz were reportedly in a dating relationship and lived together, FOX reported.
In the moments following the dramatic crash, officers said Glasscock “repeatedly made spontaneous statements indicating he should not have been driving, and that he had been drinking alcohol.”
Glasscock admitted to having two whiskey mixed drinks between 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., according to court documents, reported FOX 10 Phoenix.
“Glasscock could not remember leaving Sun Bar, and stated the last thing he remembered was being inside his car after the crash,” court documents read. “Glasscock also did not remember if anyone else was with him in the car but stated he had met with friends at Sun Bar.”
Once he was medically cleared from the hospital, Glasscock was transported and booked at the Tempe City Jail on two counts of manslaughter. His bond was set at $20,000.
Glasscock has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 5.
