It took more than two years, but police have finally found the driver thought to be responsible for the November 26, 2017 killing of Daniel Ramsey III.
On January 3, 22-year-old Luis Echeverria-Navarete told a gathering at a Portland home that he had killed a pedestrian on North Fessenden Street a couple of years before.
One of the party’s hosts recalled the crashed since they lived in the area and they knew no one had been arrested. The woman secretly recorded Echeverria-Navarete confessing that he was drunk that night as he drove his girlfriend to Hillsboro.
According to an affidavit, the woman told police the driver crashed his car in Hillsboro after hitting the pedestrian in Portland. He was arrested for the Hillsboro crash in 2017 and he pleaded guilty to drunken driving and assault.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison and his driver’s license was revoked for life. It was the third time Echeverria-Navarete was convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
Ramsey, 24, was struck while using a crosswalk on Fessenden Street at its intersection with North Alma Avenue. He was accompanied by his girlfriend.
That woman, Darian Conley, told police they were on their way to get dinner and thought it would be safe to cross. However, after they stepped into the roadway, they noticed a car speeding toward them.
Conley said she and Ramsey were holding hands when he was hit, and the impact tore his hand from hers.
Police found Echeverria-Navarete on Thursday in Hillsboro as he was driving his girlfriend. They pulled them over and arrested him on suspicion of killing Ramsey.
He was charged with first-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and failure to perform the duties of a driver.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk driver, contact a DUI lawyer in Portland.
Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/01/party-confession-led-to-arrest-of-driver-suspected-in-2017-portland-hit-and-run-crash-that-killed-pedestrian-records-show.html
