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).
In a tragic incident in Oregon, a 19-year-old, under the influence of Four Loko, has been charged after causing a fatal crash that resulted in the death of a teenage passenger. Authorities report that Oscar Regis was driving recklessly with three passengers when he collided with a pole at 76 mph in a zone restricted to 35 mph.
The authorities allege that Regis engaged in an alarming series of actions, including driving at speeds up to 99 mph, brandishing a gun at a driver stopped at a red light, and consuming cans of Four Loko while driving. According to a probable cause affidavit accessed by Law&Crime, Regis was weaving through traffic in a Chevrolet Malibu before crashing into a “large light pole.”
The crash claimed the life of Jackson Greenfell, whom Regis had met earlier that evening. Greenfell, seated in the back, sustained critical injuries, including a likely brain bleed, and was intubated before succumbing to his injuries at a nearby hospital, as detailed in the affidavit.
A female passenger sharing the back seat with Greenfell suffered severe injuries, including a cheekbone fracture requiring surgery, multiple facial fractures, a broken spine, and a concussion. Her recovery involved the insertion of metal plates into her face.
During a detention hearing, the girl’s mother expressed the gravity of her daughter’s injuries, describing them as lifelong challenges. “The trauma she has suffered is extraordinary,” she stated, as reported by The Oregonian.
Regis, who has since turned 20, has been ordered to remain in custody without bail as he awaits trial for the February 9 crash in Hillsboro. He faces multiple serious charges, including manslaughter, assault, driving under the influence, and reckless endangerment.
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.
