Camaro driver charged in fatal Pasco crash. The car was out of control, prosecutors say
A speeding driver allegedly lost control of his sports car on a residential Pasco street, killing his passenger and leaving three women with broken bones.
Accused driver, Ramon Contreras, 22, of Pasco, collided with a SUV near the intersection of Madison Avenue and Hartford Drive on Oct. 12.
He appeared Friday in Franklin County Superior Court on one count of vehicular homicide and three counts of vehicular assault in connection with the crash.
Deputy Prosecutor Joe Faurholt asked that he be booked into jail with bail set at $100,000.
Deric Orr, who was acting as Contreras’ attorney, asked for bail to be reduced to $5,000.
But Superior Court Judge Jackie Shea Brown set bail at $150,000.
Contreras has no previous history of reckless driving, according to public records.
Pasco police say he was driving north with Ramon Rivera Arceo Jr. on Madison Avenue about 7 p.m. in a central Pasco neighborhood between the Tri-Cities Airport and Road 68.
The driver of a Chevy Traverse was heading south and spotted the sports car coming around the corner and swerve near Hartford Drive, according to court documents.
The Camaro overcorrected and pulled directly into the path of the Traverse. The SUV plowed into the passenger side of the car.
According to a video taken from the scene, the SUV ended up on top of the Camaro.
Rivera Arceo suffered serious internal injuries and was rushed to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland but he died three days later.
The Traverse driver and two passengers suffered broken legs, according to court documents.
Police said Contreras appeared obviously disorientated when an officer spoke with him.
A GoFundMe was set up by Rivera Arceo’s sister to pay for funeral costs. Donations can be made at bit.ly/RiveraArceoFundraiser.