BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Beaverton Police Department (BPD) on Tuesday identified the 18-year-old driver involved in an April 27 crash that killed two Southridge High School students and severely injured three others, in addition to a Washington County deputy.
Investigators have said that the driver, identified as Xavier Denzel Rodriguez, was in a Nissan Altima with four of his schoolmates when he ran a red light at the intersection of Southwest Tualatin Valley Highway and Southwest Murray Boulevard just before 12:30 a.m. that morning.
The Altima slammed into the driver's side of a Washington County Sheriff's Office patrol car, occupied by Deputy Michael Trotter. Three of the students, including Rodriguez, were hospitalized in critical condition. Matthew Amaya, 17, and Juan Pacheco Aguilera, 16, did not survive the crash.
During a press conference on the day of the crash, Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett described Trotter's condition as critical but stable and said he faces a "long road to recovery." Garrett said Trotter has been with the Washington County Sheriff's Office since 2013 and has been a full-time patrol deputy since 2015.
"His pelvis is destroyed," the deputy's wife, Heather Trotter, told KGW. "He had internal bleeding ... it's a fairly low prognosis that he will get full function in his left leg."
Rodriguez remains at a local hospital undergoing treatment for his injuries, BPD said. Authorities have not commented on his current condition, or those of the two injured students who have not been publicly identified.
Police are looking into Rodriguez for "traffic-related crimes," BPD said. The Washington County Major Crimes team and the Washington County Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Team (CART) are still conducting a criminal investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 503-629-0111.
In the aftermath of the crash, at least two GoFundMe pages have been established for the victims. Aguilera's sister posted one in hopes that the community can support them with funeral expenses, and it's raised nearly $17,000 of a $10,000 goal. Another page supporting Trotter's recovery has raised more than $115,500 of an extended $100,000 goal.
