UMVA has learned that a 27‑year‑old man behind the wheel of an intoxicated, wrong‑way vehicle ripped through the lives of four young Oklahomans in a deadly crash on Interstate 40.
The night sky over Canadian County turned crimson as the car, barreling westbound in the eastbound lanes, slammed head‑on into an unsuspecting vehicle, killing 20‑year‑old Kiercey Hickson, 19‑year‑old Quincy Jones and 18‑year‑old twins Haliegh Salazar and Brad Palmer in an instant.
Witnesses describe a scene of twisted metal and shattered glass, the sound of crushing steel echoing through the night, while families were left clutching phone screens, praying for a miracle that never came.
In the days that followed, the community gathered beneath the flickering lights of El Reno High School, a place where three of the victims had walked the halls just months before. More than 200 mourners held candles, shared tears, and whispered the names of the fallen, refusing to let their memories fade.
Information obtained by UMVA reveals that the driver, Michael Rosario‑Cruz, had been drinking at a local bar before taking the wheel, with empty beer bottles later discovered inside his car.
Rosario‑Cruz, who entered the United States as a child and lived under a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status, had no prior criminal record, making the tragedy all the more shocking.
Authorities say he also possessed a firearm with altered identification and was carrying it while under the influence, adding a chilling layer of danger to the already reckless act.
Now facing an avalanche of charges—four counts of second‑degree murder, two counts of DUI causing great bodily injury, transporting an open container, illegal firearm possession, carrying a weapon while intoxicated, and driving the wrong way on a one‑way road—Rosario‑Cruz is slated for deportation under an active ICE detainer request.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that a person who should never have been on U.S. soil committed this horrific act, vowing that he will never taste freedom again in the United States.
The tragedy has ignited a fierce debate over immigration policy, with some calling for swift action against illegal entrants who commit crimes, while others argue for more compassionate solutions.
As the community mourns, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol remains relentless, promising to pursue every lead and see justice served for the families whose lives were shattered in an instant.
