TEMPE, AZ – A 35-year-old man pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in connection with his role in a fatal 2023 crash that claimed the lives of two people.
AZ Family said the 35-year-old man, Derek Gray (previously known as Derek Glasscock, was initially going to face second-degree murder charges before pleading guilty and will face a sentencing scheduled for September 23.
The Back Story
On Nov. 25, 2023, Gray was racing another driver on Rural Road, traveling at a high rate of 153 mph. He lost control of his Ford Mustang, which went airborne before colliding with a power pole and two palm trees.
Gray’s two passengers, 32-year-old Jesse Ruiz and 31-year-old Maria Rangel, who were in a romantic relationship, were both ejected. Rangel was thrown 80 feet before landing behind a building.
First responders pronounced Ruiz dead at the scene, and EMS rushed Rangel to a hospital, where she later died.
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