2 teens found in crashed car 8 hours after wreck near Pasco. One is arrested

When Franklin County deputies approached a smashed car in an empty field, they discovered broken beer bottles and a can of beer inside.

But the 18-year-old driver claimed he hadn’t touched any alcohol before a crash that left a 17-year-old friend with a broken arm and possible fracture in his back.

Now, Rodrigo Ramirez of Pasco is accused of vehicular assault and being a minor in possession of alcohol, according to Franklin County Superior Court. He is currently out of jail on $2,500 bail.

He’s also been ordered to wear an alcohol monitoring device and isn’t allowed to drive a car while the case is pending.

Deputies were called to the 90-degree corner that connects Sagemoor Road and Sagemoor Lane on Sunday, Feb. 19, shortly before 6:45 a.m., according to court documents.

The Franklin County deputy approaching the crash noticed there were marks on the road from the vehicle leaving the road at a high speed.

When he neared the car and saw the driver, the deputy said he could smell alcohol.

The teen passenger was still trapped inside.

Medics found the teen had a broken arm and likely a fracture in his back.

The deputy found broken beer bottles in the back seat and a beer on the passenger’s side floor.

Ramirez claimed he wrecked the car at 11 p.m., nearly eight hours before deputies were alerted to the crash.

He refused to take a preliminary breath test but sobriety tests at the scene showed he was intoxicated, according to officials.

“He also expressed concern for a blood draw as we would look for ‘every single drug that’s in my system,” according to court documents.

Police received a warrant and a blood sample was taken from him at Lourdes Medical Center. The results were not included in the deputy’s affidavit.