SALT LAKE CITY – Officials have released the names of the juveniles who died in an accident Sunday morning after the driver fled from police.
Randy Ruiz, 14, of Midvale, and Hardinger Cruz, 17, of Salt Lake City, were in the back seat of a Volkswagen when its driver, Jonathan Cruz fled from Salt Lake City International Police after he was reportedly seen leaving a parking structure at a high rate of speed.
Jonathan Cruz’s girlfriend, Michaela Martin, 18, of Taylorsville, was in the front seat.
Utah Highway Patrol says police terminated the chase when Cruz got onto Interstate 80.
Officials say when the officer continued to drive on the freeway to median where he could turn around to go back to the airport he noticed a cloud of dust.
The officer discovered that the suspect vehicle had crashed into a retention pond near exit 117, the onramp to Interstate 215.
Martin, Ruiz and Hardinger Cruz were pronounced dead at the scene.
Jonathan Cruz was transported to Intermountain Medical Center where he was reported to be in a coma as of Monday evening.
