Today, before the Honorable Audrey J. Broyles, Angel Hernandez-Cruz was sentenced to 120 months in the Department of Corrections for crimes stemming from a crash that killed Luis Morales Ramirez in June 2020.  Hernandez-Cruz had previously pled no contest to the crimes of Manslaughter in the First Degree and Aggravated Driving While Suspended, and guilty to Driving While Under the Influence of Intoxicants.  

On June 9, 2020 at about 3:45 p.m., the victim Luis Morales Ramirez was driving southbound on Highway 99E towards his home to celebrate a family event.  The defendant had just left the Last Chance Saloon and was driving a large truck northbound on Highway 99E.  Multiple witnesses indicated that they saw the defendant’s large truck drive off the shoulder of the roadway and onto gravel, overcorrect, and drive fully into the southbound lane of travel.  Defendant struck Mr. Morales Ramirez’ vehicle head on.  Morales Ramirez was pronounced dead at the scene.  

The defendant was transported to Salem Hospital, where a medical blood draw registered .238% blood alcohol content. Throughout the investigation defendant blamed Morales Ramirez for the crash despite the multiple witness accounts showing that Morales Ramirez never left his lane of travel.  A full investigation of the circumstances of the crash and defendant’s intoxication was led by the Oregon State Police.  At the time of this crash, the defendant was on probation in Salem Municipal Court for a DUII that occurred on June 12, 2019.  As part of that conviction, the defendant was required to install an ignition interlock device to ensure that he was not using alcohol and driving.  No such device was installed in defendant’s vehicle.  Defendant had also completed a DUII diversion in 2009.

Mr. Morales Ramirez is survived by his wife, Rosalia, and five children: Edgar, Kenya, Alexandra, Karim, and Saralee. On the day of the crash, Mr. Morales Ramirez had worked all day and was on his way home to celebrate his oldest son’s graduation from middle school.